True American Pride - Real Things to Celebrate About This Nation (#12)

 9 more entries to go...it was fun to see what kept coming to mind. #23 was real fun!

#22:  JUNE 22:  THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government..." (Declaration of Independence, July 4 1776).

For Entry #22 of my personal celebration of True Things in America to be Proud of, I can't help but turn to a more serious note. Our Declaration of Independence - written and signed by thoughtful, courageous, and principled men - is a document that changed the world. And its inspiring message still reverberates today. Each time I read the above words, something in me is stirred with the timeless truths they state. And I'm deeply grateful for the opportunities and the life I live as a result of this revolutionary statement made 247 years ago.

I pray Americans will never take for granted the freedoms that were won from the courage and sacrifices of others who came before us. A closing thought from a favorite patriot of mine:

"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it." (Thomas Paine)

"Declaration of Independence", by John Trumbull 1818

God bless America. I'll work to remember that as I enjoy my next burger.

#23: JUNE 23: AUTOMOBILES AND AMERICANS

“Everything in life is somewhere else, and you get there in a car.” – E.B. White

1964 Ford Mustang

Day 23 of True American Pride month for me. I could not end this series without honoring this true piece of Americana: the automobile. Americans may not have actually invented the gasoline-powered car (Karl Benz, a German, is commonly credited with doing so in 1886), but it is the United States that made cars the central part of our economy, society, and culture for the last century or so. Americans build more cars, drive more cars, drive further in cars, depend on cars, and worship cars more than any other culture in the world.

1908 Ford Model T

1941 Willy's Jeep

The following excerpt succinctly describes the significance of the car in U.S. culture: "The car is so much more than a machine that moves people from point A to point B. It is a symbol of freedom, an emblem of America’s pioneering spirit, a status symbol, a rite of passage, a mark of one’s wealth, and sometimes, a sad substitute for a home or a temporary place to lay one’s head."

So true. So here for your enjoyment are pictures of some of the classic automobiles from American history into today. (PS: Small tidbit. The 1st car my wife Deborah ever owned was WAY COOLER than the 1st car I owned....which is true in so many other ways in our life too. She's way cooler!). Cheers to the next road trip and hitting the open road!

1953 Cadillac Eldorado

2023 Dodge Ram Bighorn pickup

1966 Chevy Camaro

1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray