The American Experience

After going through a course called “The Truth Project,” which deals with critical elements of American history that have been distorted and now taught as fact, Debbie and I decided to do something about it. So, each year we host a speaker, who is an authority on a particular historical subject, to the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. The speaker typically spends the day with honor students and then addresses a large public gathering that evening. This year we hosted Dr. Daniel Dreisbach, Professor of Law at American University, an authority on our founding fathers, and particularly Thomas Jefferson. He specifically addressed Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists dealing with church and state.

During Dr. Dreisbach’s visit, I had the privilege of accompanying him to a dinner hosted by a former Missouri Supreme Court Judge. Also at the dinner were a retired Missouri Appellate Court Judge, a New York Times best-selling author, and a college professor of history. The discussion was vigorous.

A litany of subjects were debated, primarily those having to do with American legends now taught as fact and how universities such as Harvard, established by Christian organizations and once conservative have, in the name of diversity, evolved into schools with an obtuse identity. And, in too many cases, every religion except Christianity is welcome on campus and in the classroom. But the real pearl of the night came when we stumbled upon a major theme that is missing in today’s classrooms at every level.

Even though today’s history curriculum is abridged, and too often to a misleading degree, there’s an even greater crucial element that is completely missing. While students learn a somewhat distorted version of America’s roots – the Pilgrims, Paul Revere, the Tea Party, and all of that – the uniqueness of the journey known as the American Experiment, is tragically missed. What’s missing you ask? The world is primarily made up of countries formed by homogenous groups with borders that have changed repeatedly, usually after the most recent war. The United States is vastly different.

America is a country of diverse immigrants. While the original Americans were British Christian Protestants, and the founding fathers drew on their religious roots to draft our Declaration of Independence, Federalist Papers, and Constitution, America has since welcomed those from all continents, faiths, and cultures. The United States is made up of German Americans, Korean Americans, African Americans, and the list goes on. The common thread is that all are American. And, a myriad of cultures peacefully flourish under a common flag.

While students are taught a light version of American history, few are impressed with the unique nature of America. Doing so would cause more to realize the intangible aspects that make America resilient and great. America is a country of people with diverse origins; there will always be divisions. America’s greatest leaders have been able to draw upon the strengths of diversity and inspire most to a common goal. We all pledge allegiance to the same flag.

There’s currently too much focus on divisions and not enough coverage given to the diverse, but serene, communities that make up most of America. No country on earth hosts and provides protection for the variety of religions as does America. In no other country do citizens reside with a more diverse background but common allegiance. Rarely does a public protest in America result in the loss of life. Think back to the recent months-long Wall Street set-in. This freedom of speech, and too often responsibility, is an important aspect to realize in order to understand and deal with differences of notions that have always existed, always will, and are essential what makes America unique, peculiar, and great.

We’re in the final days of a Presidential election. And the pundits would have us believe that never before have the politics been so brutal. Those who say so don’t know their history. For example, Thomas Jefferson’s Vice President challenged a political adversary to a dual and subsequently shot and killed him on the capital lawn. Compared to that, our politicians – both liberal and conservative – are sedate.

What was once considered an experiment by the rest of the world raised up to defeat the greatest power on earth at that time, gained its independence and quickly rose to be the world’s greatest power, protector, and provider.

The fact that America was founded on Christian principals can’t be denied. The language of our constitution is laced with the style of those familiar with the Bible. The country first known as the American Experiment is now the country to which the greatest numbers risk all to reach.

 

Bunnies and Bears

I grew up in a small house less than a 1000 square feet. There were six of us, and consequently no room for an indoor dog. I had one friend who had an indoor dog, a poodle. Other than that, he was normal.

After being married several years my wife and I moved into a house with more than one toilet and plenty of room. The three boys began asking for a dog. I didn’t have one growing and up and I decided they didn’t need one either. I pulled into the driveway after work and the youngest, toothless, boy announced, “We got you a birthday present and you aren’t going to like it.” I sensed it was a puppy.

When they presented me with golden ball of fur, I remembered seeing a sign at a furniture store that read – “Unattended children will be given an ice-cream cone and a puppy on departure.” I wondered what I’d done to deserve this little creature that had just deposited a thousand strands of hair on my black dress pants. My feelings would change.

Golden Retrievers are without a doubt the best breed of dog. That is if you’re looking for a dog that sheds enough hair each day to fill a pillow case, isn’t bred for retrieving anything in particular, sleep 23.5 hours per day, but loves people.

Our first Golden was the perfect dog. Katy hated the outdoors, wouldn’t step on anything wet, greeted everyone as if they were a soldier returning from the front, and on walks never got more than twenty feet away. If geese or ducks came into our yard she’d chase them away before they had a chance to leave slimy evidence of their visit. Each morning she’d piddle in the same spot and then retrieve the morning paper.

It has been said that life begins when the last child leaves home and the dog dies. Katy died just before our youngest, now with teeth and much larger, left for college. We missed Katy but we enjoyed the ability to be spontaneous. Overnight trips needed very little planning; we didn’t need to get home to ‘let the dog out.’ The vacuum cleaner no longer needed to be emptied weekly.

Some years later the kids, now adults, gifted us with another Golden. Training a dog in the middle of winter is daunting. The next few weeks weren’t pleasant. Eventually Roxie became a part of the family. Unlike Katy, she’s not the perfect dog. She doesn’t chase geese and I once witnessed a pair of ducks mating not ten feet from her. She couldn’t have cared less. And she’s afraid of almost everything, including trash bags, lawn mowers, people carrying things, doors closing, the dark, flying birds, and airplanes. She does get the paper each morning, but one can’t predict what she’ll do with it.

On a cold rainy February night I discovered the one thing that she’d chase; a bunny. Yep, let her out to piddle and away she went through the wet grass into the mulch and sliding to a stop in the only muddy spot in the yard. And since that night she has continued to be vexed by bunnies. She has yet to catch one.

And so it went; the dog afraid of everything had discovered her purpose. But then one morning when I let her out to piddle she went racing toward a cedar tree where she’d cornered a bunny the night before. We were at our cabin in the Rockies where it wasn’t unusual to see a small bear now and then. Roxie had seen bears from a distance and growled like she does when the doorbell rings, but then runs to the bedroom when a stranger enters. This day was different. She ran under the low hanging branches and instead of a bunny running out the other side a large black bear, probably weighing over 300 pounds ambled out. I expected Roxie to run for safety in my direction with the bear at her heels. Instead the bear trotted away with Roxie barking viciously at its heels growing and showing teeth as if to have suddenly contracted a severe case of rabies. The bear disappeared over a ledge and then Roxie returned to me, panting, and frequently looking back in the direction of the bear’s departure. To this day when she goes to piddle in that area, she first races to the cedar tree and then goes to the ledge and looks around fearlessly.
Roxie is a people magnet; Debbie I take her along when walking to town from our cabin in the Rockies. She attracts people and I then try to sell them one of my books. They ignore me and ask what kind of dog Roxie is. I tell them she’s a Golden Retriever. “Beautiful,” they all say. “What does she retrieve?” they ask. “Bunnies and Bears,” I reply. They slowly back away. She’s not good for book sales.