The entrepreneurial spirit of America has been damaged in the wake of the financial crisis. Yes we are individualists. Yes we follow a "pull yourself up from the bootstrap" philosophy. Our country was founded on perseverance, ingenuity, and sheer will. Yet with the on-going economic inertia, more is required in the New America. Healthcare, access to credit, employment opportunity, decent housing and food for the belly and the soul are basic staples of civilized life. None among us in the land of plenty should be without.
There is a tremendous need for spiritual rebirth in America. We have lost our way; we value money above people; we spread hate more than love.
In order to change the status quo and rid ourselves of the growing cancer of hate, we need to reclaim our innate goodness. Many Tea Partiers claim Christian principles of faith. For Christians, there is no stronger ethic than to love your neighbor as you love yourself. This simple statement acknowledges that one of the greatest states of consciousness we can achieve is a deep and abiding empathy for those who suffer.
What do we hope for as Americans? The freedom to pursue our dreams in a world of infinite possibilities.
Mutual concern for our neighbors is our ticket out of the current hell. If you fail, I fail too. Prosperity is not just for a chosen few; it is the promise for us all. We help ourselves, by helping each other.
In the real America, we are not jealous, narcissistic, petty or unjust. These are not values worthy of us or those who came before. We are innately kind, visionary and fair.
This is the America that I know--the one that loves its neighbors, no matter how different they are, just as we love ourselves.
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