Dayspring Christian Academy’s headmaster, Dr. Michael Myers, was the guest speaker for a 2016 Independence Day event held in Lincoln, NE. Titled “American Exceptionalism,” we’ve included several key points of Dr. Myers’ speech below:
On defending our nation’s ideals, Dr. Myers states, “Truly, the rise of America among the nations of the world was exceptional, as any astute student of history would see. Adams wrote of the Toil and Blood and Treasure that it would cost to maintain the Declaration, and to support and defend these States. Adams was correct and that reality hasn’t changed in the 240 years that have elapsed since his time. In fact, I would submit that now, as much as ever, the current generation must be equally as vigilant and courageous as were the Founders, to support and defend our nation and the ideals upon which it was based.”
On remembering who we are as a people, Dr. Myers submits, “We must faithfully remember and rehearse our history lest we forget who we are as a people and what God purposed our nation to be. If we drift from our founding principles—the very ideas and ideals that made us great, we will become easy prey to philosophies and agendas that would have been anathema to those who secured the moorings of our nation with their blood, sweat, and tears.”
On the mistreatment of America’s founding story: “Current textbooks and histories are rife with politically correct rationales and unfounded scenarios explaining the rise of America. It is no secret that our history as a nation has been largely re-written and reshaped for the political purposes of social engineers and the power-elite. Over the years, the superficial and misleading treatment of America’s founding story has taken its toll, producing apathy and even disdain among some of its citizens. With no anchor to the past, no mooring to the secure bedrock of authoritative history, there is little to give authentic meaning or direction regarding our presence in today’s world. Sadly, recent generations have not been given the tools of research and logic to mine the gold of America’s genesis and purpose.”
On remembering America: “Why commemorate—why remember? It is certainly not just to take a stroll down memory lane or to engage in some nostalgia kick. It is not clinging to the past. The word remember appears some 227 times in the Bible and that is significant! In those Scriptures, remembering was always for some purpose and was intended to elicit some kind of action. Remembering (or not remembering) always had consequences –like preserving a nation on the one hand or losing a nation on the other. Remembering compels us forward with fresh vigor to recognize the importance of what is being commemorated so that the value and lessons associated with it are not lost.”