Where Is My Country?

Benjamin Franklin said, “Where Liberty dwells, there is my country.” One of our readers, Ann Marie Perkins, asked, “So where is my country?” The answer is simple, but before giving it, we should
say something about Liberty.
Liberty always begins in the heart of a man. He may be in the darkest prison where hope has been destroyed. Yet, deep inside his heart, there is a spark. That spark is love — love for his country, love for his family, love for our God. Love gives rise to inspiration, planning, determination, and hard work.
Liberty was never bought without great sacrifice. Someone has to pay the price. Sometimes a whole generation, a whole nation must pay the price. In every corner of the world, man yearns for Liberty. And he fights for it.
There is no country immune from the passion of the single man willing to give everything for a chance to breath free.
Liberty springs forth from the heart. The love of Liberty is more powerful than the greatest dictator who commands the greatest army.
On the northwest wall of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington are these words, which are a warning from Jefferson: “God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that
His justice cannot sleep forever.”
In America, we have so much and we take so much for granted. Many today say, “America is over, all is lost!” How ridiculous! How short-sighted! No hope for America? We still have every imaginable resource at our disposal — private property, freedom of speech, the right to keep and bear arms, and millions upon millions of Americans who love Liberty.
Think of the poor peasant in Southeast Asia whose village has been burned by the Communists, his family killed, his livestock destroyed. He is left with only himself and an old carbine rifle. Yet, he fights for his country and his freedom. Now that is a hopeless case. Yet, it too can turn to victory.
God said, “Know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
To have Liberty, man must have the truth. Communication is essential in the fight for freedom. Without truth, there is confusion and dissension. But with the truth, the path to victory is often clear.
Today many Americans see their country and Liberty slipping away. They fret, they stew, they wring their hands. They talk. But they do nothing.
“I voted!” a man says. You voted? Well, great, but what the hell else did you do? Sitting in the car listening to Rush or watching Fox News at night is not a commitment. Did you sacrifice days of your life in this recent campaign going door to door or making phone calls or waving signs? Did you give money or raise money?
Victory in everything goes to those who work their hearts out and sacrifice. Did you? Don’t say you voted. That is the utter minimum that anyone can do. Voting should be the last final act of a whirlwind of activity in helping elect Liberty-loving candidates for public office.
If you sit on the sidelines, don’t blame the liberals, the welfare cheats, the illegal immigrants, the crony capitalists or any of the other left-wing, corrupt forces that are bringing our country down. If you sit on the sidelines and do nothing, blame yourself for what happens.
All that is necessary for Evil to Triumph is for good men to do nothing. For Liberty to triumph, it’s not enough to “love” Liberty. You have to work tirelessly and sacrifice for it.
You have to be willing to do what others refuse to do in order to make a real difference. If you sat on the sidelines and watched what happened in this election, resolve never to do that again!
Be in the arena, covered with blood and sweat and tears. Then and only then will you have the right to complain about what’s happening in our country. Otherwise, your words are like clanging cymbals that have no meaning.
So the question is asked, “Where is my country?” And the answer is simple: Your country is where your heart is. If your heart is in America, then work for it, fight for it, and never give up on it. Liberty is our ideal, but it is not a destination. It is a journey, a battle, a lifelong fight for each generation.
A great part of America is continuing the fight for Liberty. The love of Liberty is expressed through action. Yes, Liberty begins in the heart of a man, and you are that man!