"We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings that
except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly
believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid, we shall succeed
in this political building no better than the builders of Babel."
Benjamin Franklin
I’ve seen it in the news, but it
was a social media discussion that caused me to reflect, once again, upon what
the American experience is supposed to be. There are many who worry about what
the Trump administration, and those who support him, means by repeal and
replace of ObamaCare. Already we have seen the phrase coined, TrumpCare to
reflect what that could mean. ObamaCare is a disaster based on government
control, which many people dislike and disagree with. But what happens when the
government attempts to fix an ill thought through socialist program that people
have come to depend on and expect to take care of them? You might rename it
with the opposing parties’ idea of that government repair and it might possibly
improve. But a wound inflicted by team aggression is not effectively tended to
by the other team, no matter the good intentions, while still playing the game.
So what do I mean by AmeriCare?
It’s a philosophical concept based on the foundations that America was
originally built on. It shouldn’t take a lot to explain but the concept has
been distorted, displaced and damaged by ignorance, ill will (often based in
ignorance) and path detours devised by those who don’t agree with the American
experiment. It’s probable that Donald Trump has become president because of
this AmeriCare attitude. We can hope it’s not only by Trumps strong character.
This AmeriCare thinking can be found in the study of our founding fathers.
Everyone should start with
getting a grasp of GeorgeWashington’s Farewell Address of 1796. This is the first of many
presidential speeches but most accurately reflects the intentions and original path
for America. Washington was the first to apply all that the new republic had set
up, only nine years earlier.
"Of all the dispositions and
habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are
indispensable supports."
George Washington
Our republic (not
to be confused with a democracy) works best when executed under the faith
our country was built on. This does not mean you need to be a Christian to live
here (there was a very diverse degree of faith in our founders). But all our
laws, declarations, cultural standards, relationships and civil discourse are
guided by principals of Christianity. This alone makes it possible for people
of all faiths, belief systems or viewpoints to succeed if its basic moral
principles are followed.
Thus, AmeriCare. We have many
issues to resolve in our nation, healthcare being just one. Government
instituted Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) was destined to fail because it
didn’t follow the republic model, as Abraham Lincoln warned.
“We the people are the rightful
masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but
to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.”
Abraham Lincoln
Under our republic it takes a
while for the will of the people to settle out in accordance with the ethics of
our Constitution and Bill of Rights. It takes longer when an uninformed people
of a republic begins to realize that it’s loosing freedoms only achieved and
maintained by its principles.
“Freedom is never more than one
generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the
bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the
same.”
Ronald Reagan
Our stumble, to this point in
time, is the result of lost focus, incorrect understanding and lack of training
about what America is. Maybe people are waking up; learning what is needed to
keep our country on course and turn to our foundation. We can hope Thomas
Jefferson’s wisdom is ours.
“If a nation expects to be
ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never can be.”
Thomas Jefferson
ObamaCare cannot work, TrumpCare
(if you wish to call it that) will not, alone, fix it. But AmeriCare, using our
founding ideologies along with the many who have great ideas for healthcare, unyoked
from an aggressive government, can move us in the right direction, if given
time and the focus to apply our nation’s philosophy.
A great resource to learn about
our republic is Hillsdale College.
“Hence it is that democracies
have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found
incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and in general
have been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths … A
republic, by which I mean a government in which a scheme of representation
takes place, opens a different prospect and promises the cure for which we are
seeking.”
James Madison,
Federalist Papers No. 10.
