It’s hard to find glimmers of hope in America.
The relentless dismantling of our foundational truths and individual liberty that we are experiencing would have seemed unthinkable just a few decades ago.
No liberty is exempt from the left’s cleansing. From those enumerated in the First Amendment to the liberties guaranteed by the Second Amendment, our freedoms are under assault:
• Conservatives are targeted by the IRS for reading the inspiring words of de Tocqueville and Locke
• Symbols of faith are brazenly removed from Air Force Mess Halls while the military threatens to court martial Christians who openly share their faith
• Evangelical Christians are bullied from delivering invocations at the President’s Inauguration
• Gun owners are relegated to second class citizens within the confounds of the media and on Capitol Hill
The tyranny of so-called tolerance and despotism is suffocating our inalienable rights to the extent that many Americans are left wondering “how much more oppression can our Republic withstand ?”
And then a glimmer of light, ever so dim and weak, reminds us all is not lost; that there is a brighter future within our grasp should we choose to embrace it.
A high school valedictorian from Pickens County, South Carolina, became that light as he stood in defiance of those seeking to shut down freedom of religion and expression. Despite the ACLU demands to remove all references to faith and religion in graduation ceremonies statewide, Roy Costner IV refused to allow his testimony of God’s faithfulness to be suppressed.
To the amazement of his graduating class, faculty and parents, Costner stood before the podium and defiantly ripped up his state sanctioned speech. He then spoke openly about his faith in Jesus Christ:
“Those that we look up to, they have helped carve and mold us into the young adults that we are today,” he said. “I’m so glad that both of my parents led me to the Lord at a young age.”
“And I think most of you will understand when I say…” he continued, surprising the crowd with what came next.“Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name,” Costner declared. “Thy Kingdom come…”
Much to the chargrin of the ACLU and their cohorts in the radical left, Costner did not even get to the second line of the Lord’s Prayer before the crowd broke into a spontaneous applause.
http://youtu.be/z6_Xr3tJNwQ
This is America.
A place where a student, if he so chooses, can freely give Glory to God without fear of persecution or discrimination.
A country where the exchange of ideas and philosophies is celebrated not punished by government agencies that wield their power like feudalistic lords.
A nation where tradition and foundational documents are studied, honored and esteemed for their intrinsic wisdom.
A land where the full exercise of inalienable rights is encouraged and cheered; not violated or restrained by overbearing governance.
America…the city on the hill whose light has not been completely extinguished.
Costner demonstrated that a little courage and fortitude can defeat the demagogues trying to regulate thought and speech. As the anti-God regiment in this country (yes, those that three times voted to remove God from their political platform) slowly tries to chip away at our religious freedom, I predict that we will witness many more acts of courage like that demonstrated by Costner.
It’s a sad commentary on our culture when reciting the Lord’s Prayer in public is considered a subversive act of rebellion.
