Dennis Prager, the co-founder of PragerU (an American nonprofit and advocacy group and media organization) wrote in the PragerU “AMERICA 250” 96-page collectable edition magazine “Race and ethnicity have defined every nation on earth. Except one—the United States of America. It is defined by values.”

Values, according to my old desktop dictionary, are the social principles, goals, or standards held or accepted by an individual, class, or society. So, the question that follows is what are American values?

Prager continued his article with “So, to understand America, you have to understand American values. 1. “E PLURIBUS UNUM”, 2. “LIBERTY”, & 3. “IN GOD WE TRUST”. He then pointed out they are on every American coin.

E Pluribus Unum, is Latin for “out of many, one” and when first publicized in the late 18th century was meant to help make the 13 original states into one United States. It has since evolved into making all the various and different immigrant groups from elsewhere into one nationality – American!

Liberty is maybe best recognized from the Declaration of Independence which states “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--…” And, as Prager commented “America gives people the liberty to end up wherever their abilities, work ethic, and luck take them…”

Think Liberty and think of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. This was first proposed in 1865 by the French to commemorate the centennial of the United States, the perseverance of American democracy, and the liberation of the American slaves. It was dedicated in 1886 as a gift from France to the United States.

The 13 colonies that became the United States were founded on “freedom of religion” – not “freedom from religion” as many would have us believe. The United States has never had an official state religion, but was founded on the principles that God - the God of the Bible - is the source of our moral behaviors. The Founding Fathers often paused in prayer as they worked to create our country.

In 1814 Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star Spangled Banner” and included in the fourth verse “And this be our motto – ‘In God is our trust,’ ”. The motto has been on U.S. coins since 1864. In 1954 President Eisenhower signed a bill to insert the phrase “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. In 1954 “In God We Trust” appeared on a postage stamp and the phrase has been on our paper money since 1956.

There is another American value worthy of note that Katherine Lee Bates recorded in 1893 in the third stanza of America The Beautiful when she wrote “O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved And mercy more than life.”

Other values often heard in contemporary times include “Faith, Family, & Freedom”. A political flyer found online stated “We believe strong communities are built on something deeper than politics – they are built on faith that guides us, families that shape us, and the freedom that protects us all. These aren’t slogans. They’re the foundation of everything we do.”

Everything that has happened in our country’s history hasn’t advanced our values. In 1954 the Johnson Amendment banned many non-profit organizations including churches from endorsing or opposing political candidates. This put a serious damper on what was called “Election Sermons” which candidly addressed the political topics of the day at Election time. The Supreme Court recently relaxed the prohibitions, but some 70 years after the damage was done.

How well a country abides by its values is influenced by the elected leaders. The same “AMERICA 250” publication previously referenced reported on a Presidential Ranking Survey where over 150 historians and experts voted on who was best and who was worst concerning the 42 men (not including Trump) that have held the office of President. To no ones’ surprise, President Washington was first and President Lincoln was second. Maybe some were surprised that President Reagan was third. President Eisenhower who put our faith in God on the paper money and in the Pledge of Allegiance was 6th while President Lyndon Johnson of Johnson Amendment fame was 35th. Johnson was also known for “The Great Society” which had an attitude – or aptitude – of the government can solve all your problems by spending money and got the country deeper into the quagmire of Viet Nam. He became President when President Kennedy (ranked 18th), famous for “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country”, was assassinated. They were both Democrats but so dramatically different.

President Carter was in office when the Iran Hostage Crisis began the 47-year war that President Trump is now trying to end ranked 39 right behind President Obama at 38. Obama, you may remember, wanted to “fundamentally transform” America. President Biden was dead last at 42. (Johnson, Carter, Obama, & Biden were all Democrats.)
Get informed and get involved. Know your values, know your history, and vote for the candidates that put America first!