Pray for the restoration of a godly spiritual attitude in America. Thank God for the gift of this great nation where “hard work can take you far if you are willing to do it.” Share a prayer of thanks for America by leaving a comment below.

Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. (Phil 2:14-15)

View Comments (11)

“I was once a proud member of the Democratic party. Better yet, I was a proud supporter of both Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Growing up in the 1990s, I gave President Clinton much of the credit for a period in our history that ushered in balanced budgets, relative peace and security at home, technological wonders like the internet and a nation that seemed on the rise, with limitless opportunity for all.

Around 2011, however, I finally reached the point where I could no longer swallow the radicalized rhetoric coming from the left. The reasons were complex, but there was one thing above all else that planted me firmly in the Republican camp: the left’s need to constantly trash or see America in a negative light.

Whether it was Barack Obama declaring we needed to “fundamentally transform” America, or a liberal activist who once said to me, “This country isn’t exceptional – it’s pathetic” – it was clear to me that, for some reason, many on the left see America as wicked, unholy, and in need of some sort of purification. The election of President Trump has only exacerbated this, with many Democrats now seeing a country that is broken in every sense of the word….

A recent example of this is Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J., the former mayor of Newark and a rising star who many see as having a shot at taking on President Trump in 2020, who declared Friday that he cried “tears of rage” over Trump and that “there’s things that are savagely wrong in this country.”

Hold on. The United States has many problems. Yet I have always believed that the soul of America is grounded in two things: our right, bestowed by the founding fathers, to “the pursuit of happiness,” and the generations of diverse, talented and remarkable Americans who have grabbed hold of that right to create better lives for themselves and their families….

As my grandfather told me many times as a boy, “Nothing in this country is guaranteed, but hard work can take you far if you are willing to do it.”

This is what the left never seems to understand about America….

I look to my own family’s story as proof that America delivers on this pledge – and that there is nothing “savagely wrong” with a nation that does so.

My grandfather left Greece after it was ransacked and destroyed by Nazi Germany in World War II. He sought a better life after being forced to spend long stretches of time in an internment camp for the “crime” of having helped downed allied pilots. With what looked like civil war just over the horizon, he decided to do what many millions all over the world had done before him: he sought a better life in a faraway land that offered a fresh start and security….

[My grandfather’s]  hard work was rewarded. Not only did he open multiple restaurants and pass on many of his life lessons on how to pursue the American dream to my dad, but I was able to learn from his story too.

While I have had many struggles in life, I always knew in the back of my mind that I had a shot at pursing any dream I deemed worthy of my time, energy and skill.

Even in adulthood, my grandfather’s journey proves to me that the promise of America lives on—and inspired me to make my own way in the world….

My grandfather’s journey and my own are, to me, proof that America offers one thing that is unique in human history: an open platform to pursue your heart’s desire.

There is no guarantee of success—only that you get a shot. The rest is up to you….

There is nothing “savagely wrong” with this country except for the savage nature of the politics that have divided us.” (Excerpts from Harry J. Kazianis article on Fox News)