American’s Creed & Big Foot

Unless you’ve been living in the woods somewhere in the Northwest, more concerned about finding Big Foot than affairs of the state, you know there’s an election tomorrow to decide who the next President of the United States will be. I wanted to spend this month writing about historical political events and the people who sought to make a difference in the process. In 1917, William Tyler Page of Maryland won a nationwide contest for “the best summary of American political faith.” The U.S. House of Representatives accepted the statement as the American’s Creed on April 3, 1918. It’s two paragraphs remind us that responsibilities are the source of rights. It deserves to be read and recited. Today very few people have even ever heard of it. “I believe in the United States of America as a Government of the people, by the people, and for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a republic; a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes. I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, so support its Constitution; to obey its laws; to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.” Don’t forget to vote. Oh, by the way, today’s news noted that Big Foot was last spotted in Idaho, in case you believe your time would be better spent searching for him. For what it’s worth, I’m not so certain that line of thought isn’t spot on.