The Name, American, Which Belongs To You...

George Washington and Nelson

Tomorrow morning our neighborhood will have the second annual Flag Raising Ceremony of which I am conducting. This was the idea of Brandon and Dana Peterson and has been embraced as one of the greater ideas and traditions our little neighborhood family has. I recently was watching "Civil War Journal" on the History Channel as I often do, and learned about the division of the West Point Military Academy leading up to the War Between the States. Apparently, tensions were high, but life at the Academy went on until it was decided that the solidarity of the students must be tested. Several events transpired that day including the reading of George Washington's retirement speech. Apparently this speech solidified the feelings of both the Southerners and the Northerners alike and the Academy was shortly recessed for a time. It inspired me to read the retirement speech of America's first Commander-in-Chief and I would suggest that each of you do so as well. It is an amazing speech...almost prophetic as he seems to address several issues America is facing today, such as a party system that is beginning to erode the republic, the need for religion and morality, avoiding national debt and more. This seriously is a must read and what better time to do so than while celebrating this great nation and the freedoms we enjoy because of great men like George Washington.

Money Tips from Our Founding Fathers

I found an article that included financial advice from those that established our country.  I thought they were great and worth sharing.  Here you go, in Red, White, and Blue:

Benjamin Franklin ~ Founding Brother

"Remember that Money is of a prolific generating Nature. Money can beget Money and its Offspring can beget more, and so on. Five Shillings turn'd, is Six: Turn'd again, 'tis Seven and Three Pence; and so on 'til it becomes an Hundred Pound. The more there is of it, the more it produces every Turning, so that the Profits rise quicker and quicker."

Thomas Jefferson ~ Founding Brother and 3rd President of the United States of America

"But I know nothing more important to inculcate into the minds of young people than the wisdom, the honor, and the blessed comfort of living within their income, to calculate in good time how much less pain will cost them the plainest stile of living which keeps them out of debt, than after a few years of splendor above their income, to have their property taken away for debt when they have a family growing up to maintain and provide for."

John Adams ~ Founding Brother and 2nd President of the United States of America

"All the perplexities, confusion and distress in America arise not from the defects of the Constitution, not from want of honor or virtue, so much as from downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation."

Quote of the Week

"You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.  You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.  You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.  You cannot further the brotherhood of man by encouraging class hatred.  You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.  You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.  You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence.  You cannot help man permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves."

~Abraham Lincoln

At times it seems like our current principles and strategies in America and on Capitol Hill are the complete opposite of these grand words.