Kindred Spirits

Literally me every time I go everywhere. 

In honor of the Fourth of July being just around the corner, I decided to feature a collection of quotes about patriotism and America. Who would’ve thought that not one, but two Obama quotes would make it into a list of patriotic quotes? You know what they say; a broken clock is right twice a day. Also, a good quote is a good quote, no matter who said it, or whether or not they meant what they said. And yes, I know it’s Thursday, and I hope you’ll forgive me for my neglectful blogging and the 24 hour delay.

“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” – Abraham Lincoln 

“I am an American; free born and free bred, where I acknowledge no man as my superior, except for his own worth, or as my inferior, except for his own demerit.” ― Theodore Roosevelt

“I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” – Nathan Hale

“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” – Harry S Truman

“When an American says that he loves his country, he means not only that he loves the New England hills, the prairies glistening in the sun, the wide and rising plains, the great mountains, and the sea.  He means that he loves an inner air, an inner light in which freedom lives and in which a man can draw the breath of self-respect.”   – Adlai Stevenson

“The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life.” – Theodore Roosevelt 

“Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.” ― Mark Twain

“Our flag honors those who have fought to protect it, and is a reminder of the sacrifice of our nation’s founders and heroes. As the ultimate icon of America’s storied history, the Stars and Stripes represents the very best of this nation.” – Joe Barton

“When I die, I desire no better winding sheet than the Stars and Stripes, and no softer pillow than the Constitution of my country.” – Andrew Johnson

“Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July, but the democrats believe every day is April 15.” ― Ronald Reagan

“For a lot of people, Superman is and has always been America’s hero. He stands for what we believe is the best within us: limitless strength tempered by compassion, that can bear adversity and emerge stronger on the other side. He stands for what we all feel we would like to be able to stand for, when standing is hardest.” – J. Michael Straczynski

“A man’s country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle; and patriotism is loyalty to that principle.”   – George William  

“Now, as a nation, we don’t promise equal outcomes, but we were founded on the idea everybody should have an equal opportunity to succeed. No matter who you are, what you look like, where you come from, you can make it. That’s an essential promise of America. Where you start should not determine where you end up.” – Barack Obama 

“Intellectually I know that America is no better than any other country; emotionally I know she is better than every other country.”   – Sinclair Lewis

“[P]atriotism… is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.”   – Adlai Stevenson

“What people don’t understand is this is something that we only have in America. There is no other country in the world where the ordinary citizen can go out and enjoy hunting and fishing. There’s no other nation in the world where that happens. And it’s very much a part of our heritage.” – Norman Schwarzkopf 

“A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.” ― Edward Abbey

“We can’t all be Washingtons, but we can all be patriots.” – Charles F. Browne

“We have enjoyed so much freedom for so long that we are perhaps in danger of forgetting how much blood it cost to establish the Bill of Rights.”   – Felix Frankfurter

“The essence of America - that which really unites us - is not ethnicity, or nationality or religion - it is an idea - and what an idea it is: That you can come from humble circumstances and do great things.” – Condoleezza Rice 

“Of all the supervised conditions for life offered man, those under USA’s constitution have proved the best.  Wherefore, be sure when you start modifying, corrupting or abrogating it.”   – Martin H. Fischer

“Europe was created by history. America was created by philosophy.” – Margaret Thatcher 

“We, the People, recognize that we have responsibilities as well as rights; that our destinies are bound together; that a freedom which only asks what’s in it for me, a freedom without a commitment to others, a freedom without love or charity or duty or patriotism, is unworthy of our founding ideals, and those who died in their defense.” – Barack Obama

“Ours is the only country deliberately founded on a good idea.”   – John Gunther

“I believe our flag is more than just cloth and ink. It is a universally recognized symbol that stands for liberty, and freedom. It is the history of our nation, and it’s marked by the blood of those who died defending it.” – John Thune

“America is much more than a geographical fact.  It is a political and moral fact - the first community in which men set out in principle to institutionalize freedom, responsible government, and human equality.” – Adlai Stevenson

“Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children’s children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.” ― Theodore Roosevelt

“How often we fail to realize our good fortune in living in a country where happiness is more than a lack of tragedy.”   – Paul Sweeney

“America’s strength is not our diversity; our strength is our ability to unite people of different backgrounds around common principles. A common language is necessary to reach that goal.” – Ernest Istook 

“What is the essence of America?  Finding and maintaining that perfect, delicate balance between freedom ‘to’ and freedom ‘from.’”   – Marilyn vos Savant

“Stagger breathe! Stagger breathe! Stagger breathe!”

“You can’t breathe there!”

“You can make eight measures without breathing!”

“Blend! Blend!”

“Just the tenors!”

“Now, WITHOUT the sopranos”

“Why don’t you have a pencil?”

“Did you take a breath???”

“This is serious!”

“You can sing with a sore throat! You shouldn’t be singing from your throat anyway!”

“cresCENDO!”

“I can’t hear the altos!”

“I can’t hear the tenors!”

“I can’t hear the bass!”

“The sopranos can be a bit softer!”

“Why do you keep taking a breath there?”

“I’m going to call this concert off if you don’t get it together!”

“A little less vibrato from the sopranos!”

*claps rhythm loudly and purposefully*

“You can’t eat during choir practice!!!”

“Why isn’t your music in order?”

“PROJECT! PROJECT! PROJECT!”

“From the top!”

“From the top, but this time I won’t interrupt you!”

“From the top, but this time I PROMISE I won’t interrupt you!”

“Did you write in your music that you can’t take a breath there?“ 

“No, I don’t have another copy of the music!”

“How did you lose your music already?”

“You’re not on Broadway! Don’t sing like you are!”

“BLEND! BLEND! BLEND!”

“Vowels!”

“Consonants!”

“Vowels!”

“Consonants!”

“More feeling! Pay attention to the words you’re singing!”

“You can’t write in your music with pen!!!”

From Fr. Dwight Longenecker: 

This is a crucial fact which secularists in our society can’t even dream of, much less comprehend.

They operate in a post-modern culture in which nothing is connected. The contemporary non-Catholic American exists in a multi cultural, multi religious society in which everything is fragmented, piecemeal, artificial, individualistic and incomplete.

He gathers information from a multitude of various sources–none of them authoritative and all of them subjective and sentimental. So he gleans an opinion here from the nightly news, there from his shallow surfing on the internet. He picks up an idea here from his peers and there from a wacko school teacher or professor. His education is utilitarian, partial and incomplete. His courses are mostly electives so he chooses things he wants to study or needs to study to get a good job. There is no cohesive, complete and connected worldview and furthermore, he doesn’t believe such a worldview is possible.

…How could any one religion profess to be any truer than all the others?

…Therefore, when the typical modern American sees the Catholic Church he does not see a unified system of thought, belief, morality and lifestyle that has a global impact and has been established and growing dynamically for 2,000 years. He does not see an array of saints striding down the ages all unified in one church, one faith, one baptism, one Lord and Savior of us all.

He does not see the magnificent unity of thought, the clarity of expression, the depth of psychology, the tenderness of human emotions, the soaring architecture, the splendid art, the exquisite music. He does not see the voluminous writings of Thomas Aquinas, the ancient thought of the Apostolic Fathers. He does not see the quiet intensity of the monastic life, the gritty hard work of the missionaries, nurses, teachers and preachers down the ages. He does not see the majesty and humility of the papal office or the unity between the clergy and the bishops and the people of God.

He sees just another church on the corner like umpteen other churches and wonders why Catholics think they’re so special.

What we must try to communicate in the present cultural crisis is that every part of Catholic belief, worship and practice is connected. 

Rules on marriage are connected with our anthropology, our social teaching, our pastoral care and our sacramental system and all these are connected with what we believe about God, heaven, hell and the soul’s salvation and all that is connected with what we believe about history, art, architecture, music, the sciences and all knowledge and all of it is connected with what we believe about the tragedy and triumph of the human race in the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

HQ version of Jill and Derick’s anniversary photos. Thanks again to elizabethzellonphotography ❤️