America From A To Z

A--Aviation: The Wright Brothers built the first feasible aircraft, and flew it on December 17, 1903 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

B--Bill of Rights:

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment II

A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.

Amendment III

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

Amendment VII

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Amendment VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Amendment IX

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people

C--Constitution:

September 17, 1787

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

D--Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. (emphasis mine)

E--Equality: the Declaration Of Independence correctly states that all men are created equal. Every person in this country starts life of equal value and worth as a human being. What he does with that equality, well, that's his own doing.

F--Football: From pee wee leagues to the pros, this is truly America's game.

G--Guns: The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. There is a reason our founding fathers placed this right so high. It was the second amendment, not the 15th or the 23rd. The right for a citizen to defend himself and his family is paramount. Without this right, morally upright and law abiding citizens would be at the mercy of those who respect neither the law, nor their fellow man--and that includes those in the government as well.

H--Health Care: The U.S. has some of the best health care anywhere, and it is available to everyone. Everyone! You want to go see your doctor? Just get up and go. No need to apply to a government bureaurocracy to request medical treatment. No need to hope and pray that they deem you worthy to fund your doctor visit. No waiting lists that you hope you live long enough to make it to the top of. Just go! But wait, you may argue. What about those who can't afford health insurance? You'd be sruprised at how many people who "can't afford" health insurance somehow find the money to pay for cable/satellite TV (the premium package), high speed internet, multiple automobiles, an x-box and/or a playstation or two, designer clothes and multiple cell phones. It's not so much a matter of money is it is of priorities.

I--Internet: Despite what Al Gore claims, the internet was actually invented by the U.S. Department of Defense.

J--Jazz: A uniquely American style of music, Jazz is popular all over the world.

K--Knitting and Karate: Though neither originated here, both are enjoying immense popularity in the U.S.

L--Land: More specifically, the wondrous variety of land found here: from mountains to deserts, forests to prairies, America has it all.

M--Military: The finest military anywhere, it's biggest strength is that it is all volunteer. No one is conscripted. No one is forced to serve. No, these men and women are here because they love their country and they love freedom. They love it enough to lay down their very lives to defend it.

N--National Parks: From the National Park Service website: In nearly 400 national parks and every hometown. It covers everything from the remnants of ancient civilizations to the boyhood homes of U.S. Presidents to the stirring sagas of hard-fought wars to the reverberations of one woman refusing to give up her seat on a bus. History is a part of who we were, who we are, and who we will be.

O--Opportunity: America has long been known as the land of opportunity. Face it, there aren't too many other places were a homeless man, or a child born into poverty to unwed teenager parents can become millionaires or heck, even billionaires.

P--Poverty: “Overall, the typical American defined as poor by the government has a car (31% of poor’ households own two cars), air conditioning, a refrigerator, a stove, a clothes washer and dryer, and a microwave. He has two color televisions, cable or satellite TV reception, a VCR, or DVD player, and a stereo. He is able to obtain medical care. His home is in good repair and is not overcrowded. By his own report, his family is not hungry, and he had sufficient funds in the past year to meet his family’s essential needs... A third of poor’ households have both cell and land-line telephones....” —Robert Rector . In other words, if I had to be poor, there's no other country I'd rather be poor in.

Q--Quality of Life: The United States has one of the highest standards of living in the world. See the above entry.

R--Rattlesnakes: Unique among the snake world for that little buzzer on their tails, rattlesnakes are a symbol of America, and of American Independence.

S--Space Program: From the Space Race of the Cold War Era to the Space Shuttles , to Elon Musk and SpaceX of today, America's space program brings out a bit of the pioneer in all of us.

T--Technology: From Alexander Graham Bell, to Thomas Edison, to Henry Ford , American inventors have some up with some amazing feats.

U--Universal Health Care: I'm thankful we aren't forced to endure the government rationing of health care: “Did you know that when a patient is diagnosed with cancer in the United States, it takes an average of four weeks to begin treatment? It’s 10 months in the United Kingdom. It’s called ‘rationing of care.’ That’s what you get with national health care. When government rations the care, that means bureaucrats are making medical decisions.” —Sen. Tom Coburn. And of course, whether you receive treatment at all depends on whether some government Bureaucrat decided if you "rate" treatment. That may be ok with some of you, but as for me, my medical decisions will be between me and my doctor. Period.

V--Variety: There are all kinds of people living here from all different ethnic backgrounds, religious persuasions, tastes, and interests. Some like chocolate, some like vanilla, some don't like ice cream at all. The variety among the people is tremendous, but despite those among us who would be divisive, we have all come together to form one people--the American People.

W--Washington D. C.: Our nation's capital, Washington D.C. is full of history and beauty. I'm going to go back there someday.

X--Xerox: Yes, the humble Xerox is an American invention. I'm glad, too. X words are hard to find. If it weren't for Xerox, I'd have had to go with X-box.

Y--Yellowstone National Park: America's oldest national park, Yellowstone has always been a place of fascination to me. Cody's been there. I haven't. I'm going to go eventually.

Z--Zoos: From the San Diego Zoo, to the Memphis Zoo, to the National Zoo in Washington D.C. America has an abundance of zoos, and they are great places to visit.



**Unless otherwise referenced, all quotes are from the Patriot Post website.