[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 127 (Tuesday, July 20, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E783-E784]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           THE AMERICAN IDEAL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. VIRGINIA FOXX

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 20, 2021

  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, recently, I received an impassioned letter 
from Elizabeth Bradley of Bessemer City, North Carolina, about the 
American ideal.
  In her letter she writes, ``The American ideal is the revolutionary 
thought that it is not by government, nor wealth, nor any human 
intervention that people have rights, but by the divine power of God.''
  Ms. Bradley is exactly right, Madam Speaker.
  The American ideal has withstood the test of time because of those 
who put their faith in God's plan rather than their own.
  Madam Speaker, let us never forget that we are one nation under God, 
and the freedoms we proudly espouse are a gift that He has bestowed 
upon us.

                           The American Ideal

       My name is Elizabeth Bradley, and I am 18 years old. 
     Recently the President challenged anyone to define America, 
     claiming that it could not be done. I felt lead to write this 
     short essay, not only defining what is truly American and 
     outlining the most basic steps towards restoring us to our 
     former glory. I encourage the reader to share the ideas 
     presented in this essay at any and every opportunity, and I 
     thank the reader in advance for taking the time to read them.
       It comes upon my conscience this day, July 2, 2021, to make 
     note of the American Ideal, which is the very thing that has 
     been the cornerstone of my upbringing and second only in my 
     very identity to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am 
     inclined to write this not only for myself but for the 
     multitude like me who are filled with anguish at the state of 
     the nation in which we live. I struggled in my younger years 
     with the idea that my country is so divided against itself. I 
     have many times over feared the self-division or conquering 
     of the U.S. by a foreign power. But it occurs to me now that 
     America is not and never, in concept or reality, has been a 
     particular plot of land. The United States as we call it is 
     only the land in which the American Ideal has been allowed to 
     flourish. And while it will be a dismal day when the current 
     government and land are inevitably overrun, America is not a 
     thing that can truly be destroyed. America is an idea, a 
     rather great one, in which people are

[[Page E784]]

     by Providence allowed to protect and fight for their God 
     given rights.
       The American ideal is the revolutionary thought that it is 
     not by government, nor wealth, nor any human intervention 
     that people have rights, but by the divine power of God. And 
     it is for this very reason that we have been uniquely and 
     divinely blessed thus far in our pursuits as a nation. It is 
     my firm belief that it was no man, but God Himself who turned 
     the tide of the American revolution. Through a myriad of 
     miracles, lives improbably saved, and weather, God lead an 
     army of untrained and largely uneducated patriots to the most 
     unlikely victory in all of human history. God's plan for 
     America was vested in the very foundation of its ideals and 
     laws. The American ideal acknowledges the fact that ``All men 
     are created equal'' and that ``They are endowed by their 
     Creator with certain unalienable rights''. The American ideal 
     puts the liberty and responsibility of preserving life, 
     enjoying liberty, and the pursuit of happiness on the people 
     of a nation. In turn the government respects those rights and 
     protects them. It is made clear in the American Ideal that 
     these certain rights; among them being free speech, freedom 
     of religion, freedom to keep and bear arms, privacy from 
     government intervention and the right to a fair trial and 
     fair treatment throughout any judicial proceedings, among 
     others; are not capable of being given or taken away at the 
     hands of any man but given by God alone in His mercies and 
     through the provision of death of Jesus Christ.
       The American Ideal is one, and governmentally the only one, 
     that is constructed in a way that can glorify God. It is for 
     this reason that God has supported this great American 
     experiment. It is my unfavorable duty at this point to note 
     that the governmental body of these United States has long 
     strayed from this ideal and its purpose. Through centuries of 
     corruption and societal changes, some of which were necessary 
     and some of which were orchestrated by the enemy to divide 
     our people, American society has forgotten its foundation in 
     Providence. The government, which is now lead by a people who 
     are led by partisan politics, is a shell of what it used to 
     and rightly should be. The leaders of this nation have taken 
     to voting only for what they believe will get them re-
     elected. Worse than that, some leaders in this nation have 
     decided to vote in accordance with whatever will oppose God's 
     Truth and the Providential American Ideal. The enemy has not 
     only taken hold in the government but in all aspects of the 
     American life. Business, entertainment, and even many 
     churches have fallen short of God's plan for this nation. 
     Wealthy and vicious people now monopolize almost all forms of 
     communication and consumers allow themselves to be silenced. 
     Churches no longer speak Gods Truth, but pander to a modern 
     audience that insists upon the acceptance and glorification 
     of sin. The doctrines of free speech and religion have been 
     distorted and abused in a way that benefits those who are 
     against the common people. The poor are intentionally kept 
     down for the political gain of those who oppress them most. 
     And the enemy, with his many minions in this world are 
     attempting to erase God's name from the societal conscience 
     of Americans.
       The hope that we may all hold to is in this verse ``If my 
     people who are called by my name will humble themselves and 
     pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I 
     will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and I 
     will heal their land.'' 2 Chronicles 7:14. We the people, who 
     believe in the American Ideal by nature are God's people. We 
     must take heed, not only of the hope held in this verse but 
     also of the effort that we must put in to achieve this goal. 
     We must humble ourselves. We must not be blinded by our 
     pride, in ourselves, our party affiliation, or in our own 
     ideas. Conversely, we must humble ourselves and ask only what 
     God would have us do, think, say, or vote. We must seek God's 
     plan for us and our nation through prayer, and we must be 
     vigilant in this effort. We must pray for forgiveness for our 
     collective sins, and we must turn from those things which we 
     hold dear that we know are not morally right. We must turn 
     both from personal sin and do all we can to hinder our 
     national sins. If we are to hold onto the nation that we 
     love, and properly protect the American Ideal we must, as a 
     people, place our faith in the sole Almighty God of Israel 
     and America.
       While it appalls and amazes me that there are those that do 
     not hold this nation and this Ideal the way I do, I often 
     feel that there are a precious few that see the American 
     Ideal the way I do. In recent times many of those who claim 
     the title of patriot are unwilling to give up even the 
     smallest convenience to divest power from those who seek to 
     oppress us. Our forefathers, and in fact many influential 
     women of the American Revolution began their revolution by 
     giving up their dearest luxuries. It may not seem so dear a 
     cost to us now to give up the drinking of tea, but what if 
     Amazon Prime was put in that place? How many are truly 
     willing to give up something, never mind everything to make 
     the American Ideal once again thrive? And, while there is 
     much explosive drivel strewn across the internet about 
     patriotism, I challenge the reader to find a single person 
     who is both unwilling to stop buying from Google and willing 
     to give their very life for the cause.
       Nevertheless, this is written not to discourage the truly 
     American people but to bring them hope. The essence of 
     America is within the hearts and minds of those who know and 
     believe the American Ideal. The belief in God given freedoms, 
     personal liberty and the responsibilities therein, and the 
     truth that any man can become successful when the proper work 
     is put in; that is the American Ideal. And this Ideal can not 
     be lost, it can not be altered, and it can not be destroyed. 
     No matter how hard the enemy tries, he can not destroy what 
     God has created and blessed. The battle is won against the 
     Washington oligarchy, against the immoral CEOs, against those 
     who seek to silence us, against the bitter hatred among 
     brothers, against the sex culture, against drug culture, 
     against Satan himself. It is done. Therefore, I urge the 
     reader to get on your knees tonight and pray over this 
     nation. Pray with confidence in the One you are speaking to. 
     Pray for the leaders of our churches, schools, and 
     government. Pray over what roll God has for you in the next 
     chapter of this American experiment, put on the armor of 
     Christ and stand prepared for the coming battle.--Elizabeth 
     S. Bradley

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