United We Stand, Divided We. . .?



STOP!

The election has ended!
Outcries of jubilation and wailings of dissention need to come to a full HALT! America's election process allowed the people's voices to be heard, not squelched or stagnated. Regardless whether in competition or election, someone emerges as a winner and another a loser. That's the bottom line! The time for shouting and whining is OVER! Now it is time to examine the past and reflect on the present for purposes of moving on, forging ahead, looking to the future of America.



"From Many, One" or "Out of Many, One"

Embrace the Past. . .

In 1782, Charles Thomson created the Great Seal with a modified version being accepted featuring the American Bald Eagle as its centerpiece. The de facto motto, E Pluribus Unum, alluded to the union between the states and federal government.

Watch the entire Great Seal become a symbol of unity.

In 1956, the national motto of the United States In God We Trust was approved by Congress. This officially replaced the ‘unofficial’ motto, E Pluribus Unum, which remains to this day on the Great Seal of the United States. The phrase In God We Trust is derived from a line in Francis Scott Key's poem written in 1814, "The Star-Spangled Banner," which became our national anthem. Key wrote, "Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust?'"

Empower the Present. . .

Today the motto, In God We Trust, is accepted by some, disregarded by others and debated repeatedly, especially by public officials. Deliberation abounds as to whether or not it can be placed openly on buildings or in school classrooms. Affirmation and reaffirmation of this motto continues to repeat itself as some secularists object to its use but in spite of all efforts, it remains intact. 

In addition to our national motto, did you know each of the United States fifty states, the District of Columbia and the three US territories have its own unique state motto? English and Latin are the most-used languages of state mottos with the earliest use of a current motto being 1511.

Know your state and for which it stands. . .

 

Enrich the Future. . .

Freedom was paid for by American might and American blood, sweat and tears. The future of America, her land and her people, relies on the awakening of the foundation by which America was founded. While the times have changed and are continuously changing, the principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence remain enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.

United we stand, divided we...?

How would you complete the phrase? Will the 'united' in the United States of America be replaced by something much different that no longer represents the epitome of the human spirit called freedom?

"We’ve got a good thing going here. We used to have a common sense of purpose. We need to find it again, to discover what unites us rather than eternally focusing on issues that divide us. There have always been and always will be differences and disagreements. It’s up to us to get past them, to unite and be Americans."

          ~Marilyn Armstrong

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• In Mottos We Trust (StrangeMaps)
• 'In God We Trust' Reaffirmed as National Motto. . . (huffingtonpost.com)