A government for the people, is indeed a government by the people
For any government to work, then, its very citizens must be involved in every way
This is what democracy is, this is what democracy means
It is we who must govern, then, it is we who must serve, for only in service can we truly govern, and only in self-governance can we truly achieve
What every American citizen needs to understand today is that we, together, have created the desperate situation we find ourselves in. Friends, we must understand the causes of why things are the way that they are. In other words, we must know that we are the ones responsible. If we accept this responsibility, the way forward will be much clearer. Indeed, the “alarm bell” has sounded, and it is time for us to correct our thinking in terms of how we believe everything should be, or rather, how everything really needs to be. No matter what we have been told, no matter what we have been taught, the American Dream is not what it appears to be. The American way of life, what we are really trying to accomplish in this grand experiment, for that’s what it is, is currently not what it is meant to be at all. What we have been taught is what we currently believe to be true, and we have therefore geared all our efforts toward this end because of it. It is the “dream” that we can “have” whatever we want. When we find out this is not the case, and most of us already have, then guess what’s going to happen next? Well, we’re going to take from one another in the most abusive of ways imaginable. The only reason a certain few have it all, is because we believe that we should have it all. Until this belief is corrected, none of us are going to have anything at all.
Perhaps the American way of life has become unrecognizable, because it was based on false premises from the beginning. My friends, our goal has been entirely misunderstood. Perhaps it is our leaders, especially our political leaders, who do not understand what their real purpose, their role, actually is. It is, first and foremost, to educate, is it not? And, for countless decades, the United States Government has been telling its people that the American Dream is about acquiring a bunch of money, and nothing else. Is it any wonder, then, why we have become a materialistic society only? The leaders of our government have essentially encouraged us to believe that the American Dream, our real goal, is to become as selfish as we can possibly be. Dear companions, let me ask you a question. Is there any mother or father in this country, or anywhere in the world, who honestly believes that their child requires no discipline whatsoever? Let me just say, there is no child who can grow up and become a responsible adult, without us providing them with a little discipline, without us placing a few necessary boundaries in front of them. If we are taking this opportunity to be honest, let us recognize what the United States really is today. It is a land for the spoiled child to have whatever it wants, to have its way, at all cost, at all times. Again, is it any wonder we have chosen a return to darkness once again? It is our fault. There is nobody else to blame. We are the cause. We are also the solution.
A government by the people, for the people, means that we do the right thing for ourselves and all others at every opportunity. Our government can only serve us well when we decide to be of service ourselves. We have to do something. We have to help. Our society, our way of life, is what we make it. We cannot, therefore, change our society, or our government, without changing ourselves first. The “American Dream” is made possible, not by one self alone, but by all selves together. It is about cooperation, no matter who the “other” self is. It is about a value system based on love. You see, our common purpose is one of sharing. Our common goal is one of acceptance. And, our success in creating these mutually beneficial conditions is entirely dependent on our willingness to let go of what we demand to be ours at any given moment. This is the “United States of America”. Our lives, our country, are full of greatness. But, this greatness can only be recognized, and then properly implemented, when we pursue it together. Greatness is a joint effort. In this way, the child is able to mature and become the adult. An adult within a greater whole. The United States of America is this mature adult, a group, with much to do, and indeed, with much to give. Forget about the rest. Let each of us, together then, begin.
On this Labor Day, let us labor for freedom, a freedom to be all that we can be With all certainty, a freedom to be all that we already are