What's in a name?

While watching the movie Secretariat recently, I began to wonder why I admire horses so much. I thought to myself, what connection do I have to the horse? Why am I so attracted to them? I’ve never owned one, but for as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved them.

When the movie ended, I went straight to the internet to research the symbolic meaning of the horse. What I found surprised me.

In most ancient cultures, the horse was associated with war, fertility, and symbolic of power, victory, honor, domination and virility. In Greco-Roman mythology, Poseidon (Neptune) created the horse and dedicated it to Hades (Pluto) and Ares (Mars). Romans believed the Horse to be a symbol of the continuity of life, and would sacrifice a horse to the god Mars every October. In Chinese culture, one of the symbols of the Chinese zodiac is the horse and is equated with the Gemini zodiac sign.

Interestingly the name Martin and its derivative Marty comes from the Latin word “Mars” and means “dedicated to Mars,” the “God of War”; my zodiac sign just happens to be Gemini. Furthermore, like the horse, my name is also associated with war, and like the horse who is dedicated to the god Mars, my name means “dedicated to Mars” also. Now, my wife would agree that I like to fight and that I am frustratingly practical, which is probably true. Of course, I like think of myself as powerful, honorable, dominating, and virile. All of these virtues are masculine qualities.

These are serendipitous findings because I had no idea these connections existed. However, I can think of other connections. For instance, I was born in Baltimore, Maryland, home of Pimlico Park and the venue for the Preakness Stakes (part of horse racing’s Triple Crown) and the past home of my favorite NFL team growing up, the Baltimore Colts.

I grew up in Oklahoma where horses are plentiful; in fact, it was in Oklahoma that I began wanting a horse of my own. In Tulsa, I began riding horses at an early age because we lived three miles from a horse stable. At 14, I wanted a car called the Mustang, probably because my neighbor owned one along with several family friends. I have since owned four Mustangs in the last 15 years, and I currently drive one every day. I currently live a mile away from - you guessed it - a horse stable.

I was actually named after a family member, and I knew my name meant war-like. However, the connection to horses, be it perceived or otherwise, is interesting and may have no spiritual meaning at all, or does it?

Seek the truth and sell it not -

President Barak Obama is constantly pummeled in the political arena for being, among other things, a Socialist. Now, we must understand that in our two-party system of government, the party in power is considered the ruling party, and the president is acknowledged as the leader of his party. The party not in power is the opposition party. With this in mind, we must consider most all political rhetoric with this perspective.

Throughout American history, the opposition party is voracious in its efforts to pounce on the character of the president, his missteps, or the missteps of his party. Political rhetoric is the weapon of choice for the opposition party. Even the most beloved president in American history, George Washington, was not immune to false allegations and conspiracy theories. In his second term, the opposition party accused the most revered hero in American history of being a British spy during the war.

American citizenship is an active not passive endeavor. Implied in our citizenship is the responsibility to seek the truth about our political leaders. Political rhetoric isn’t about the truth; it’s about shaping perception. Consequently, believing this rhetoric serves to mislead us, not to inform us. In fact, it can cause us to vote against our own best interest and the interest of our country.

Political rhetoric is practically the same as name-calling. Its goal is to create a deceptive perception of its target. In some cases, political rhetoric is specifically designed to conjure up conspiracy theories to scare people who are not diligent in their pursuit of the truth.

Every American should understand that our country has socialistic features mixed in with our democracy. For example, Social Security, Medicare, public libraries, and public education are socialistic in nature. The design of these organizations is for the good of the people.

Another popular example of socialism is the National Football League where the owners share the league profit. They do this so smaller market teams have a level playing field to compete with large markets. This redistribution of wealth is for the good of the league even though it penalizes successful franchises for being successful. Now, most men I know love football and consider it as American as Apple Pie. They seem to have no conflict with the NFL’s socialistic business model.

So, let’s take responsibility for what we believe and not allow misinformation to create wrong perceptions and misinformed opinions. Seeking the truth takes work; I believe it’s one of the most patriotic activities we can do.

The power of an ideal –

On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry delivered arguably the most famous quote in American history, "Give me Liberty, or give me Death!” This passionate and defiant statement, spoken in opposition to tyranny, represents the heart of the American Spirit.

In 1776, Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence. Within this document are thirty-five words that elegantly communicate an ideal so simple and powerful that it has launched rebellions worldwide.

“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.”

This ideal represents a universal truth that appeals to the hearts of men concerning the rights and liberty of all people; our republic rests upon this principle. This conviction still has the power to inspire revolution today. What we are seeing today in the Middle East is the direct result of this uniquely American ideal. Young people in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, and other Arab countries are risking their lives by speaking out against oppression in their countries.

I’ve always believed that America’s greatness isn’t derived from its military power or because of capitalism, but the power of our words and ideals. The Middle East rebellions began because of the spread of ideals made possible by the internet and social media websites like Facebook. The internet provides a forum for the free exchange of ideals that has created a force that despotic regimes are powerless to contain. As a result, the Middle East is experiencing a renaissance like never before. Much like the invention of the printing press, which encouraged literacy and helped to spread new ideas during the European Renaissance, the internet is having the same influence worldwide today.

The ideal of self-governance, which started in Western Europe in the 17th century, became a reality in the 18th century in the form of the American Revolution. Today, young people in the Middle East are exercising their “unalienable” rights in the same fashion as young colonials did, both influenced by the writing of Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence.

“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.”

We are seeing history in the making in the Middle East. History influenced by the quintessential American ideal of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness spoken by Thomas Jefferson 235 years ago.

Let freedom ring!

Snow Days –

When I was in elementary school, I loved snow days; who didn’t? I remember waking up with anticipation to watch TV and see if my school district was closing. My brother and I watched excitedly as each school closing announcement scrolled across the bottom of the screen. Finally, our school district, one of the last, scrolled by and we screamed for joy!

We put on our snow clothes and headed outside as quickly as we could. Unfortunately, our snow clothes were not like ski clothes. We wore jeans that my mom scotch guarded, plastic baggies under our shoes, and crochet mittens and a hat my mom made for us; we were outside as quickly as we could throw on our patchwork snow clothes.

Our enthusiasm lasted about fifteen minutes, which is how long it took for our feet and hands to become wet. Of course, we gutted out the cold hands and feet as long as we could. This was a snow day after all. We didn’t get them very often, so we had to enjoy every minute of the freedom from school provided by Mother Nature.

After a couple of hours, my brother and I would trudge home to begin the slow removal of our cold and wet clothes so we could enjoy something warm to drink and eat. Thankfully, my mom enjoyed snow days as much as we did and always provided us with a willing heart. She greeted us with soup, homemade hot chocolate, and cookies. She helped us put on our snow clothes and take them off. She would dry them immediately because she knew we were going out again as soon as we were warm and fed!

Origins of the American Two Party System-

The two party system of government we have today did not exist in the time of President Washington. In fact, he was the only president in our history to serve without an opposition party.

After the American Revolution, the country’s first constitution was the Articles of Confederation. The design was purposely weak. It did not institute a centralized government, which was done intentionally so that each colony would maintain its autonomy. At best, the Articles of Confederation represented a loose coalition of colonies.

President Washington had a grand vision of creating an American Empire. To do this, the nation required a Commander in Chief and strong central government to raise taxes, impose laws, and create a standing army. People who shared Washington’s viewpoint were called Federalists. While those people did not were called Republicans based on the ideal that the nation was a republic consisting of thirteen autonomous or sovereign colonies. They believed the United Colonies of America to be a true republic and wanted no part of an empowered central government.

At this point in our history, a true opposition party was born. Republicans opposed the idea of a sovereign centralized government. With the fires of the American Revolution still burning hot in their souls, they were afraid that this government would become despotic like the British Crown. Ironically, the vision President Washington had for America contradicted the cherished Republican values in which he believed and the American Revolution was fought.

The two-party system was born out of two differing visions for the future of America. Republicans wanted no president, no taxes and no standing army, and they wanted the colonies to remain sovereign. Federalists wanted the federal government to be sovereign and empowered to appoint a president, raise taxes and to oversee the expansion across the continent. They also wanted a standing army to protect the nation from the hostile governments of Spain, France, and Britain. All three had a presence and a stake in North America.

This competing vision for the future of America still fuels the debate today and is the lifeblood of our country. From this debate came the Constitution we cherish today; it was created in the fires of debate and compromise. Ultimately, neither side was satisifed with the final document. There was never a blueprint for the Constitution, but somehow the final document managed to create both a sovereign federal government and sovereign states.

The Mount Rushmore Paradox-

Gutzon Borglum, sculptor of the Mount Rushmore Memorial, chose former President’s Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington, and Roosevelt because they best represent the first 150 years of American History. Borglum specifically chose these presidents because of their role in preserving the new republic and expanding its territory.

The paradox of the memorial is that, while recognizing these presidents for their role in expanding American territories, it also enshrines the legacy of lands stolen from the American Indian.

Mount Rushmore is controversial among Native Americans because the United States government seized the area from the Lakota tribe. Originally, the Lakota Sioux called this mountain Six Grandfathers. Later, the name was changed to Mount Rushmore after Charles E. Rushmore, a prominent New York lawyer during an expedition in 1885.

The legacy and culture of the American Indian is wrapped up in the history of a growing country founded on the principles of liberty and equality. However, these principles somehow didn’t apply to the indigenous people of America.

Sadly, one of our nation’s greatest national memorials is located on land that was taken from Native Americans. It seems ironic that two of the presidents carved into the face of the mountain did little to ensure the rights and liberties of the American Indian or preserve their culture.

While expanding American territory, President Washington attempted to compensate Native Americans for their land and tried to preserve their culture but ultimately failed. President Jefferson authorized the Louisiana Purchase, and the Lewis and Clark Expedition chose to ignore the issue.

President Lincoln is enshrined because he emancipated the slaves. President Roosevelt was deeply committed to conservation, establishing numerous national parks to preserve lands and wildlife from the advancing industrialization. A similar advancement by early Americans across the continent resulted in the taking of Native Americans lands.

John Adams’s – Why isn’t his face on the side of Mount Rushmore?

John Adams

Why Isn’t John Adams’s face on the side of Mount Rushmore along with Jefferson, Lincoln, Washington, and Roosevelt? This question probably does not cross the mind of the average American. In truth, many American’s don’t know why these four presidents are enshrined on this mountain in the first place; but that’s another story for another time.

Why does John Adams’s seem to be an afterthought in comparison to his contemporaries of the American Revolution era? Today, the best-known Adams in America is Sam Adams. In fact, when the First Continental Congress sent John Adams to France as a special ambassador, he was mistaken for Sam Adams by the French government. Sam is John’s cousin and, like John, was a revolutionary. However, he did not possess John Adams’s political genius or oratory skills. Sadly, today Sam Adams’s name is remembered more because of the beer brand named after him and not because of his contributions to the American Revolution.

Washington is enshrined in American history because he carried the revolution on his strong, broad shoulders for eight years. He embodied the “Spirit of 76”. He was also our country’s first and most famous president. His virtues and heroic exploits are well-documented. He was a man of few words and did not possess great oratory skills. As a delegate from Virginia to the First Continental Congress, he didn’t play an active role in the debate concerning our country’s future.

Jefferson, on the other hand, is best known for the writing of the Declaration of Independence. These words “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” propelled him into the center of human history and inspired revolutions and the destruction of despotic governments worldwide.

As our third president, he was also responsible for the largest land purchase in our history, known today as the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson was an elegant writer and supreme idealist. However, like Washington, he was also not much of a talker. He preferred the written word to the spoken word. He, too, was a delegate to the First Continental Congress representing Virginia. Although he possessed a great mind and the capacity to express his ideals in writing, he did not play a large role during the secession debates.

John Adams was our second president. Unlike Washington and Jefferson, he was vocal. In fact, he could not keep from expressing himself on any subject. Trained as a Harvard Lawyer and gifted with intellectual capacity and oratory skills, he was the most vocal advocate for secession from the onset of the debate. His Puritan upbringing and legal training equipped Adams with a keen sense of the law and justice. Combined with his oratory talent, he was ready-made to lead the debate on secession from England, which thrust him into the center of American Revolution history.

Most likely, John Adams is not enshrined on Mount Rushmore because he did not lead an army to victory or pen the greatest document in human history. Therefore, he did not capture the imagination of the American public and historians of his era. His contributions to revolutionary history, though many and significant, don’t shine as brightly as the contributions of the revered Washington and beloved Jefferson.

John Adams’s contribution to American history is not in his exploits as delegate to the First Continental Congress or his service as an American Ambassador. His is not considered one of our greatest presidents. His legacy is in the thousands of letters to his wife, Abigail, family members and to friends that were preserved and passed through the halls of time like a bountiful inheritance to posterity. His correspondence provides the greatest source of knowledge about the revolutionary period of American history.

These letters give us not only insight into the soul of John Adams’s but to his relationship with his wife, family, friends and country. They give us a sense of history as it was happening and allows us to share in the “Spirit of 76”. Because of these letters, we know more about the humanness of John Adams, and since we can examine him more closely, we can see the cracks in his character more vividly than those of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.