What is Americanism?

Being fiercely patriotic, I am excited for the 4th of July! I love this holiday, not because it's a day off or some extravagant fireworks celebration, but because of what it means. FREEDOM. SACRIFICE. INDEPENDENCE. What beautiful words! As you ponder those words consider the quote below from Theodore Roosevelt. (Note: the picture to the right is Old Glory flying in Iraq. This is our personal flag that Steve sent up the pole when he was there. Way cool...)

“Americanism means the virtues of courage, honor, justice, truth, sincerity and hardihood—the things that made America. The things that will destroy
America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead
of duty first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life.”

My heart aches as I read the last sentence of that quote. If anything describes current-day America, that's it. I wonder if this is how Jeremiah felt as he wrote the book of Lamentations. Written between 586 and 575 B.C. he was eyewitness as Judah was being utterly destroyed by the Babylonians; surely he understood this aching. In verses 3:22-23 he writes:

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions
never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."