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Paul Elisha: The Home of the Wise

Despite the proud prose that presaged it and all the periodic pronouncements that sought to endow it with continuity, ours has, from the outset, been an aggressively promoted ‘Marketocracy.’  Though an apt description, “The land of the free” and “Home of the brave,” does not apply to everyone, equally.  It is and has always been subject to selective affirmation.

De-Toqueville, alas, was pluperfect in his observation, that despite the contrary conclusion conveyed, the sight of countless intrepid American frontiersmen, with bible in one hand and gun in the other, produced a true depiction of the nature of American ambition.  Thus, an approximate century-and-a-half, after announcing this apparently nonsensical duality, its logic for De-Toqueville makes even more sense to its political inheritors.  Hence the totally understandable modern derivative in the unashamedly American slogan: “In GOD We Trust… All Others Pay Cash!”

Our founders, though, were neither incognizant nor irresponsible.  They truly understood the forces that inspired the drive and inventiveness of their pioneering partners and that time and temerity would someday require other vital restraints.  Inevitable technical progress and its invariable challenges have now made these of critical necessity--- and this commentator presents a simple but vital process to keep us cognizant of them.  Their mere addition to our revered National Anthem could make them a constant reminder.  If the America once envisioned is to survive, we must now add the checks of ‘humanity’ and ‘wisdom’ to the unchecked freedom and bravery we’ve displayed.  We can easily achieve this by repeating the anthem’s last eight measures, with this critical added lyric:  “and The Star Spangled Banner shall remain and always rise--- o’er the land of the humane--- and the home of the wise.”

Your support for this now vital added-necessity, can make it a welcome reality.  If you agree, let your Congressional Representative hear it from you-----  NOW!

The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not reflect the views of this station or its management.

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