Time To Reflect

Every once and while it is worth the time to reflect.

Time to count our blessings.

Time to focus more on what we have than what we don't have.

Time to consider those who went before us and sacrificed so much that we can live like we do today.

I thought about all of this as I saw some of the headlines over the last week.

It starts with those who are unhinged with anything that Donald Trump does.

Their derangement now even extends to Trump's efforts to beautify the nation's capital for the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Some people are so consumed with hatred for Trump they are willing to sabotage the Reflecting Pool between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial.

It does not bother them to tear down America as long as they can diminish Trump.

Link: https://x.com/WallStreetApes/status/2068771851397111886

There are also people calling themselves "Team Algae" and cheering for algae growth in the Reflecting Pool.

Link: https://x.com/WallStreetApes/status/2068842606436790767

This is what they see as the best use of their time?

I think it might be useful for them to spend some time to reflect.

That advice also extends to former President Barack Obama.

Obama said this during the grand opening of his $847 million Presidential Library in Chicago.

Obama fails to recognize that there would not even have been a Declaration of Independence and a United States of America as we know it if the Founders had not done what they did at the time.

The first draft of the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson actually did contain a provision that attacked slavery and the King's actions in "suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or restrain this execrable commerce."

Jefferson and many of the Founders wanted to end slavery as part of a new and free country.

Jefferson's first draft of the Declaration of Independence

This passage was deleted in the final Declaration that was approved because it simply was not possible to ban slavery and have a United States of America that was free and independent of England at that time.

The southern states would not agree to that provision.

This is how www.blackpast.org  describes the "The Deleted Passage of the Declaration of Independence".

When Thomas Jefferson included a passage attacking slavery in his draft of the Declaration of Independence it initiated the most intense debate among the delegates gathered at Philadelphia in the spring and early  summer of 1776.  Jefferson’s passage on slavery was the most important section removed from the final document.  It was replaced with a more ambiguous passage about King George’s incitement of “domestic insurrections among us.” Decades later Jefferson blamed the removal of the passage on delegates from South Carolina and Georgia and Northern delegates who represented merchants who were at the time actively involved in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. 

Why did Jefferson and other Founding Fathers accede to removing this language?

Quite simply, if they were to be successful in breaking away from Great Britain, and gaining independence, all 13 colonies had to be totally united. Everyone who put their name on the Declaration of Independence was literally putting their their life, livelihood and fortune on the line. 

As Benjamin Franklin famously told those that were assembled to sign the Declaration on July 4, 1776,

"We must all hang together or most assuredly we will all hang separately."

It is also important to remember that slavery was not an American invention. It was a fact of life for thousands of years all around the globe.

Slavery was introduced to the American colonies by the British and the slave trade continued to be legal in Great Britain for many years after the United States gained freedom.

Jefferson went on as President to sign the law banning the importation of slaves in the United States in 1807.

The larger goal of independence from Great Britain took precedence in 1776 as it was not possible to move forward with only 9, 10 or 11 of 13 colonies united on the issue of slavery. 

Tough compromises are necessary on tough issues. Moving forward allows for a fight for another day. Attempting to take on the issue of slavery at that time accomplished nothing for the cause of freedom in the 1770's---for anyone---colonists or slaves.

Does Obama think things in the world would have been better over the last 250 years if there was no United States of America?

Obama and others who disparage the country and its founders should take the time to reflect on that question.

Finally, I cannot stop seeing the mass of foreign visitors here for the World Cup posting on social media about all of the amazing things they are seeing in the United States of America during their visit.

Seeing for themselves what we have and our way of life that is far removed from the narrative promoted in the foreign press.

Also far removed from the concrete and chaos of New York City and other big cities they typically might visit. They are seeing first hand the privilege it is to see how Americans live in the suburbs and exurbs of the nation,

This woman describes it as the World Cup becoming a Discovery Channel for the rest of the world.

Air conditioning. Free rest rooms. Free refills. Ice machines. Buc-ees. Ranch dressing.

Many are also commenting on the friendliness and helpfulness of the Americans they encounter.

The left-leaning magazine The Atlantic could not let this feel good story about the United States stand so it did its best to pour "ice cold' water on it after reciting some of the social media fervor about America.

Source: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/06/world-cup-tourists-america/687572/

The article fell flat when balanced against reality.

Social media is filled with posts like this about the reaction of foreign visitors to the American lifestyle.

If you doubt the reality, consider these announcements that I saw in the last couple of days merely on the subject of the discovery of ranch dressing by those foreign visitors.

They don't seem to want to travel anywhere without it.

There has to be a lot of foreign visitors loving ranch dressing to cause these reactions.

The TSA must be confiscating a lot of ranch dressing.

Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/tsa-reminder-world-cup-fans-ranch-dressing-counts-as-liquid-2026-6

And that has even led Kraft Heinz to introduce TSA-approved travel kits for those World Cup ranch dressing lovers.

Source: https://fortune.com/2026/06/22/kraft-ranch-dressing-tsa-approved-travel-world-cup-visitors-chugging/

For those of us who live in the United States this all might be reminder to take the time to reflect as well.

We have it pretty good and it has been that way for a long time.

That is why it is so hard to understand why so many don't appreciate what they have and are intent on tearing it down.

I have reflected on that for a long time and I still don't understand it.