In the scout oath we repeat that a scout will do his duty to
God and his country.
Since we are a month away from the 4th of July I
wanted to say a word or two about our country and what has made it unique- We
could go on for a long time, but let's boil it down to just 3 ideas. If you have a coin, take a look at it and you
will see on each one three values that make America
E Pluribus Unum, In God we trust, and Liberty
E Pluribus Unum- which translates as (from many, one)
meaning that you may come from different nationalities, religions, and
experiences, but come and work together to make America great and we are
one. This is actually quite different
from the talk about diversity that we hear so much about today- today we hear
too much about celebrating our differences and encouraging diversity, but with
E Pluribus Unum it was understood that those differences only make us stronger
if we are one and working together.
Next- In God We Trust- Meaning that our rights come from our
creator and not from man, not from leaders or great thinkers. As the declaration of independence states- we
have certain unalienable rights. If our
rights are granted by man, they can, at any time, also be changed or taken away
by man. That is why on of the unique
American values is “In God We Trust.”
Finally- Liberty- We are born equal meaning that no matter
who we are and what family we are born into we are treated the same under the
law, but where we end up in life is largely up to ourselves. This often causes some confusion as people
confuse American Liberty with the European ideas of liberty and equality. The European value is that we end up equal; however,
this idea of equality is frequently at odds with liberty, because it can only
be accomplished by limiting how much some can earn and by taking away from some
to give to others which infringes on the liberty of those people
So as we approach Independence Day, please reflect on our
duty to our country and those three values that make America
unique- E Pluribus Unum, In God we trust, and Liberty
