Free Republic

We Europeans secretly admire the US. Sometimes, we fail to understand America though and on such occasions it feels good to label Americans as "ignorant", "materialistic", "uncivilized" etc. Never mind. Let's continue to run the World together, but contribute to it in different manners. Below, some few clips illustrating what we Europeans do better than any other part of Humanity.

Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski told fellow panelists Monday she thought that Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) and Republicans like him don’t love the country because of their battles to defund Obamacare that she believes led to the government shutdown, drawing the ire of host Joe Scarborough. “That shows just how much they hate him and don’t love the country, and that’s what’s scary about this,” she said. “If they actually go through with this, this is about something else.” “Are you saying they don’t love the country?” Scarborough asked. “Are you saying they do? Ted Cruz and his group...

During Friday’s Sporting KC Major League Soccer game, technical difficulties plagued what was supposed to be a performance by Dr. Cameron Smith. His moment to shine was thwarted by a faulty public address system and two misbehaving microphones. So that’s when the fans in Kansas City decided to step up and deliver a rousing rendition of the song themselves. The result? As one person who caught it on video put it, “chilling.”

Runner Michael Bowen has finished running over 58,000 miles- one for every US vet who lost his life during the Vietnam War. Bowen, 65 living in Michigan has been running since 1982 despite suffering from colon cancer and having three surgeries on his knees.

#2MillionBikerstoDC should be trending. Despite being denied riding permits by D.C. city officials, motorcyclists from across the nation honored 9/11 victims and the U.S. Armed Forces Wednesday by rumbling more than 900,000 strong through the Capitol. The bikers reportedly wore name tags of the fallen. The military also showed their support in favor of the patriotic ride.  Marine salutes bikers in greeting! Got pic from #2MBikers Facebook page! So AWESOME! #2MillionBikerstoDCpic.twitter.com/13l1GvuVAf — singlemom411 (@singlemom411) September 11, 2013 The turnout easily trumped the “Million Muslim March,” which, as an afterthought, was renamed the “Million American March Against Fear on 9-11.” Only...

Defense Document Suggests Colonists Fighting British Rule were members of “extremist movement” (Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it has obtained educational materials from the Department of Defense (DOD) depicting conservative organizations as “hate groups” and advising students to be aware that “many extremists will talk of individual liberties, states’ rights, and how to make the world a better place.” The documents repeatedly cite the leftwing Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) as a resource for identifying “hate groups.”

Take a look at the wacky mayoral hopeful’s top six flag-waving moments on the campaign trail. While his own flagpole may have gotten him in a lot of trouble, Anthony Weiner definitely isn’t experiencing an aversion to flags as a result. In fact, the embattled mayoral candidate can’t get enough of them.

The project of European integration, advanced by politicians and elites of defeated nations in the wake of the Second World War, was founded on the belief that nationhood and national self-determination were the prime causes of the wars that had ruined Europe. There were disputes as to who started it: Napoleon? Bismarck? The French Revolutionaries? The Revolutionaries of 1848? The Reactionaries and Monarchists? Metternich? Talleyrand? Garibaldi? Fichte? Wagner? Louis XIV? But, however far back you went, in the eyes of the post-war political survivors, you came across the demon of nationalism, locked in conflict with the pure spirit of Enlightenment....

First published on FrontPage Magazine. By Enza Ferreri Beside the birth of Prince George, the most significant event to take place in Britain over the last few months has been the incredible rise of a small party opposed to immigration, multiculturalism, the European Union, same-sex marriage — in short, all the things loved by the main parties and ruining Britain. Coming almost from nowhere, with support of barely 5% of the population, the UK Independent Party (UKIP) had a historical victory in November 2012, achieving a record second place in the by-election held in the northern town of Rotherham...

The 9/11 museum director’s revulsion at patriotism is part of a larger collapse in national confidence. By Charles C. W. Cooke History shows that great and dominant societies can survive a great number of awful things without succumbing to collapse, but that they rarely outlast the gradual disintegration of national self-confidence. With this in mind, consider the words of one Michael Shulan, who “really believes” that “the way America will look best, the way we can really do best, is to not be Americans so vigilantly and so vehemently.” Mr. Shulan, who is the creative director of the 9/11 Memorial...

Iconic Ground Zero photo was nearly excluded from museum for being too 'rah-rah' American

This photo was taken and posted on Facebook by a woman named Cindy Flannagan Hendrix on the facebook group, Submarine wives. Her caption is below the pic: ***I TOOK THIS PHOTO THROUGH THE WINDOW INSIDE MY HOUSE***Felt the need to share this picture I took yesterday. We are currently stationed in Albuquerque NM. These boys got off their bikes at 5pm as colors and the National anthem started. They stood at attention in the direction of the flag and didn't move until it was done. I was most impressed with the removal of their helmets. This made my day seeing...

A Fourth of July Gallup poll presented an interesting picture about our country. Americans overwhelmingly express pride in being American, yet the division is wide and deep about what being an American means. Eighty-five percent of respondents say they are “extremely” or “very” proud to be an American. Yet, 71 percent say they think the signers of the Declaration of Independence would be “disappointed” how the country has turned out. Only 15 percent of conservatives and 12 percent of Republicans say the signers of the Declaration would be “pleased” with how the country has turned out. But, 41 percent of...

Holy war can seem like something that happened long ago or that happens far away — the Crusades of medieval Europe, for example, or jihadists fighting secular forces today. But since their country’s founding, Americans have often thought of their wars as sacred, even when the primary objectives have been political. This began with the American Revolution. When colonists declared their independence on July 4, 1776, religious conviction inspired them. Because they believed that their cause had divine support, many patriots’ ardor was both political and religious. They saw the conflict as a just, secular war, but they fought it...

Other than the obvious American patriotic songs like "The Star-Spangled Banner" or "America the Beautiful" what are some other great American patriotic songs that could go on a 4th of July playlist?

Exclusive: Jerry Newcombe stresses founders' reverence for Creator-endowed rights Here’s a trivia question for you. The Statue of Liberty holds a torch in one hand. What is she holding in the other? It looks like a book, in tablet form. The answer is the Declaration of Independence, since the tablet is engraved with July 4, 1776, in Roman numerals. The great British writer G.K. Chesterton once said, “America is the only nation in the world that is founded on a creed. That creed is set forth with dogmatic and even theological lucidity in the Declaration of Independence.” Two hundred thirty...

Fortnight for Freedom 2013 is around the corner!The Fortnight, which begins June 21 and ends July 4 is a call for both prayer and activity on behalf of our first American Freedom — Freedom of Religion.From the USCCB website: The Fortnight for Freedom, which we celebrated for the first time last year, takes place from June 21—the vigil of the Feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More—to July 4, Independence Day. Last year, we saw a great diversity of events promoting religious freedom across the country. In 2013, we face many challenges to religious liberty, including the August...

Well apparently a president can’t just make new lows for respect of American moral authority in one single term and then let it go at that. Nope. Apparently after getting stiff-armed by our ideological enemies once in the first Obama term- turning his back on American values and getting called out on it- the administration felt the need to demonstrate crumbling American might and values by going back to that well early in the second term too. During the first term, we suffered the embarrassment of the Chinese Communist who publicly lectured Obama about straying away from capitalism and taking...

It is the most easily-recognized flag in the world, the flag of the United States of America. It is the symbol of our great nation, a nation that was the envy and the desire of the world, and for so long, the light of nations for freedom and prosperity. Our nation is under attack from within, at the hands of those who run our federal government and other institutions. Even our flag, for many years now, has been a target of those who hate us. Some of us have become disheartened and weary of speaking out against the evil forces...

At least, as I remember it from some ... 58 years ago .. it is

Well apparently a president can’t just make new lows for respect of American moral authority in one single term and then let it go at that. Nope. Apparently after getting stiff-armed by our ideological enemies once in the first Obama term- turning his back on American values and getting called out on it- the administration felt the need to demonstrate crumbling American might and values by going back to that well early in the second term too. During the first term, we suffered the embarrassment of the Chinese Communist who publicly lectured Obama about straying away from capitalism and taking...

HGTV viewers are expressing outrage after the network suggested they use American flags as table cloths for Fourth of July celebrations, calling offensive, un-American and an insult to the American military. “Using an American flag as a table cloth dishonors all Americans who love Old Glory – especially those who gave their lives defending it,” one viewer wrote. “No one dies for a table cloth.” The HGTV website featured a segment titled, “Classic Fourth of July Table Setting Ideas.”The photographs show bowls of fruit and a jar of lemonade sitting atop Old Glory. They called the flag an “unconventional table”...

The final World War II veteran to serve in the United States Senate died on the eve of the 71st anniversary of the Battle of Midway. Frank Lautenberg’s passing is significant, and every American should understand why. Fifty-two years ago, fellow World War II vet John F. Kennedy told America that “the torch has been passed to a new generation.” That torch is now burning out; an era has ended, and many wonder if America will ever see another like it. To try and understand, go back seven decades to the empty sea west of Hawaii in June 1942. Only...

Memorial Day is a wonderful constant. Every year, it never ceases to touch me. My family attends an annual parade in Mercer, Pa. It’s terrific — total old-school. The flags, the courthouse, the kids, the snow cone stand, the marching bands, and, most of all, the troops from different wars — that is, the survivors who remain with us. Speaking of whom, Memorial Day always brings another constant, a sad one: each new Memorial Day brings fewer World War II veterans. They are leaving us at a rapid clip. Anyone who entered World War II at age 18 in 1945...

As I type my thoughts for this coming Memorial Day, it is my prayer that are worthy of surviving the flurry of other current events and will have an impact on those who read them and perhaps, will be referred to on other occasions and perhaps help drive the remembrance on future Memorial Days. I always experience a bit of dread as I ponder how to say something of relevance that goes beyond the standard “honoring those who gave all for our freedom” which gets circulated by so many writers while so many Americans head to the beach or prepare...

Once upon a time, we were One Nation Under God. Sure, America had its faults, but overall things were fairly good and we worked to make improvements. The government understood that its purpose was to safeguard the Rights (note the capital “R”) with which we were endowed by our Creator; and most other legislative matters were left to the states per the 10th Amendment. America had public servants, but these people were just that – servants. They were there to uphold the Constitution. That was then. This is now. Today we have two nations, peopled separately by what I’ll call...

The smoke and flame had not even dissipated before it was crystal clear that the terrorists had lost again. There was the flash, the boom, then a few brief moments to get their bearings before, almost as one, Americans began running toward the fire. It wasn’t just the cops and the soldiers. It was spectators, bystanders, even runners themselves who seconds before had been struggling to cross the finish line after 26 brutal miles. In one terrible moment that shredded bodies and lives, they went from being ordinary Americans to something extraordinary. Scratch that – “extraordinary” is the natural...

The first time? I remember that as if it were yesterday, even if it’s now 33 years’ worth of yesterdays ago. That was the evening of Friday, Feb. 22, 1980, and I was 13 years old, in the seventh grade, and I was working the scoreboard at West Hempstead High School for an evening filled with CYO basketball games. You could hear the buzz first, and it moved slowly around the old gym on Nassau Boulevard, because there was no texting and no tweeting and no email and no cell phones, just old-fashioned word of mouth, person to person, row...

Link in next post. Just beautiful.

I feel a tremendous responsibility to write this article though I am a little apprehensive. Thinking about the possibility of rising up against our own government is a frightening thing for many of us. I am not Johnny Rambo and I will be the first to admit that I do not want to die. The reason I feel compelled to write this, however, is simply because I donÂ’t think the average American is equipped with the facts. I feel that a lot of American citizens feel like they have no choice but to surrender their guns if the government comes...

Democrats are always so smarmy with throwing around the "dissent is patriotic" meme when Republicans are in power and complaining about a lack of respect for their leaders.Dissent is patriotic, but they've got it all wrong.From Super Conservative

Says dying America is 'gurgling, we've got our hand on the wound' Glenn Beck acts out a scene of rescuing a dying America during his broadcast Tuesday, March 5, 2013. Claiming that “America is hemorrhaging” and headed rapidly toward death, media giant Glenn Beck says he’s lost faith in many of the institutions that have made the U.S. such a great country, and it’s time to “surrender.” “When the government says they can use drones and just kill us without a warrant or a trial, my gosh, America certainly is dead,” Beck said during his broadcast Tuesday night. “I’ve lost...

Seldom do I ever use anything in my post that originates from an e-mail, and I do mean its is rare. However I came across an e-mail I had previously read.This particular e-mail has around in cypher-space since 2006 and the essay has found its way back to my inbox once again. The e-mail essay was written by a squared away Retired Marine, Sgt Major J. D. Pendry.Snopes indicates that the essay was properly attributed to, and the content is authentic. After much consideration I decided to post the essay. In view of the upcoming sequestration, I felt the essay...

Dear Fellow Fan, It was wholly a pleasure to get your video of Kate Smith singing "God Bless America" as only she could -- and did. It rekindled childhood memories of listening to the Kate Smith radio show every school day morning at 9 in Miss Hinkle's fourth grade class. It was the best part of the day, not counting baseball at recess. It included a wrap-up of the day's news, and so fulfilled the Current Events requirement. But the show wasn't over till the fat lady sang. And did she ever, especially "God Bless America." Her version has no...

The diversity warriors, with no sense of humor and short on irony, keep looking for victims in all the old places. President Obama, advertising his inaugural address as a call to unity and a "coming together as one people," rounded up the usual suspects as if nothing in America had changed since Seneca Falls, Selma and Stonewall. The suffragettes at Seneca Falls in 1848, the marchers at Selma in 1965 and the resisters at the Stonewall Inn in 1969 all led the way toward tolerance, but the president spoke of their sacrifice as if frozen in a time warp of...

Last Thursday, the Minnesota Department of Education held public hearings to approve its new social studies education curriculum that leaves out "patriotism" as a civic virtue and teaches that America's rise as a global power from its agrarian roots led to "institutionalized racism." History Standard 20 for the period 1870–1920, in the new social studies/history standards, says: “The student will understand that as the United States shifted from its agrarian roots into an industrial and global power, the rise of big business, urbanization, and immigration led to institutionalized racism, ethnic and class conflict, and new efforts at reform.” John Fonte,...

Out of curiosity, I took a look at how film critics from other newspapers and publications reviewed the new “Red Dawn,” a remake of the 1984 cult classic about teenagers taking up guns and defending America from communist invaders. You’d think from the critics’ condescending sneers that the remake is utter garbage. “Preposterous,” said one critic of the remake’s premise that North Korea could invade the U.S. today. “Outdated,” said another, suggesting the plot line be relegated to the ancient Cold War and the once-upon-a-time Red Scare. The only thing that’s “preposterous,” however, is the speed at which these obviously...

Several months ago, an ad hoc consortium of self-proclaimed millionaires, sent a letter to Obama, Reid and Boehner, demanding that "for the fiscal health of our nation and the well-being of our fellow citizens, we ask that you increase taxes on incomes over $1,000,000." This grass roots initiative was formed in the aftermath of Warren Buffett's, since defunct, proposal to impose a "millionaire tax" rule. Of course, back then, as now, someone actually did the math and realized what the impact of such as tax would be in the grand scheme of the next decade of deficits, as we...

A must have version of "The Star Spangled Banner"

“Economic Patriots [team stats]” — arise! You’ve got nothing to lose but your money! The Obama campaign is printing up millions of copies of his “new” 20-page plan entitled “Economic Patriotism.” It’s been a theme of the president’s campaign since Joe Biden said in 2008 that paying higher taxes is “patriotic.” Now Barack Obama has adopted it as his closing argument in a close presidential race. “We should ask the wealthiest Americans to pay a little more, a modest amount,” Obama said recently. “There are a lot of well-to-do Americans, patriotic Americans, who understand this and are willing to do...

From: Andy Logar [mailto:alogar@sbcglobal.net] Sent: Monday, October 22, 2012 8:02 AM Subject: "...What you can do for the country." October 19, 2012 '...What you can do for your country.' Andy Logar This is a personal, unabashed appeal for voters to cross party lines, if need be, and rise to the inspired words in JFK's 1960 Inaugural Address: "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country." Unfortunately, there appears to be no shortage of people concerned about what the country can do for them and a...

With the exception of Washington Post columnist and Fox News contributor Charles Lane, no one in the media noticed Vice President Joe Biden's attacks on Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan's patriotism during Thursday's debate. Twice, Biden accused Romney and Ryan of hating America. The first instance came during a discussion of Iran: "I mean, these guys bet against America all the time," Biden said, claiming--falsely--that President Barack Obama had "brought the entire world, including Russia and China" to support harsh sanctions against Iran. (In fact, the Obama administration won Russian and Chinese support only by exempting them from key anti-Iran...

Like most people, I reacted to the news that the EU had won the Nobel Peace Prize with a shout of delighted mirth. In picking this moment – just as the euro brings national antagonisms to a new high – the committee members have revealed a sublime comic genius. It is 40 years since, hearing that the award had gone to Henry Kissinger, Tom Lehrer declared 'satire is now obsolete'. But even Lehrer at his most fanciful couldn't have imagined the committee passing over Irena Sendler, who had repeatedly risked her life to save children from the Warsaw Ghetto, in...

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - Coming home from war can be one of the most difficult experiences any person goes through. But one local group says music has the power to heal even the darkest of hearts -- which is why they're on a new mission to connect soldiers to songs. Jared Midgley spent seven years of his life serving in the U.S. Army, during which he was deployed to Iraq. He says the transition to civilian life has gone well, but admits it hasn't always been easy. "You build a wall and you're kind of hard-headed," said Midgley. "Military...

The third definition of "patriot" in the Oxford English Dictionary is "A person actively opposing enemy forces occupying his or her country; a member of a resistance movement, a freedom fighter. Originally used of those who opposed and fought the British in the American War of Independence." The term first was used in the U.S. by Benjamin Franklin in a 1773 letter. It referred to people who stood in opposition of those pledged to the British Crown -- the Tories aka loyalists. On Oct. 7, 1780, American patriots prevailed against loyalists in the Carolinas and won their first Southern...

THE WEEKLY STANDARD has obtained this new political ad that knocks President Obama for saying the al Qaeda terrorist attack in Libya is a bump in the road: The thirty-second spot will soon be airing in the battleground state of Virginia, and possibly elsewhere. It is courtesy of Special Operations OPSEC PAC, which is made up of former military and intelligence officials. "President Obama wanted credit after our military killed bin Laden," the ad's narrator says. "Highly classified secrets were leaked, endangering real heroes and their families. But when terrorists killed SEALs and diplomats in Libya, this administration does not...

Leadership: With the already weak economy faltering, the president goes on TV to offer nothing but recycled promises, job-killing tax hikes, a sham deficit plan, phony tuition cuts and more of the same failed energy policy. In a two-minute TV ad now airing in swing states around the country, Obama tells viewers about his plan for the next four years. It's a good thing he gave himself only two minutes, since any more would have exposed just how vacuous his ideas are. His "plan," in fact, is just a grab bag of retread promises he's already failed to deliver on,...

When Pearl Harbor was attacked an American Democrat President authorized an immediate, heroic response. When the US Libyan Embassy was recently attacked, and the US Ambassador murdered obscenely, the response was somewhat less heroic. Need I say more?

Saturday (9/22/12) I attended the induction ceremonies for the Canadian Walk of Fame. My wife's brother, the late Phil Hartman, was being inducted into the Walk of Fame. The Walk honors Canadians who have shown excellence in almost any field, including sports and the arts. Every presenter, and every inductee, commented on how the Walk of Fame was intended to encourage pride in Canada and in things Canadian. As I listened, the thought struck me, that it's been a long time since I heard anyone in the US say anything about encouraging pride in America and in things American. Not...

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker delivered a passionate defense of Democratic efforts to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans, insisting it's about love of country. "Being asked to pay your fair share isn't class warfare. It's patriotism," Booker said, disputing an attack line often mentioned by Mitt Romney and his GOP allies. Everyone, Booker argued, must pay their "fair share" at a time when the country is facing the enormous burden of paying down debts incurred by two wars.