Old America is the original, traditional America, characterized by such things as liberty, opportunity, equality, independence, property ownership, churches, sermons, the Bible, praying in Jesus’ name, patriotism, and benevolence. Old America is under siege by a New America, which is characterized by a totalitarian stance against everything Old America stands for. (See “Two Americas,” Jan. 5, 2022, www.wayoflife.org.) The New America breeds in the public school system and universities and is leavening every institution. The war between the Old America and the New is fierce, but the Old America is far from dead, thankfully. It was on display in all its glory at the inauguration ceremony for newly elected Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who promoted unabashed Old American values during his first four-year term. The overflow crowd was massive and enthusiastic. The ceremony featured DeSantis’ traditional family of a wife, a boy that is obviously all boy, and two little girls that are obviously all girl, clothed sweetly in pretty dresses. American flags were everywhere. The U.S. military was on display, with a 21-shot artillery salute and a fighter jet flyover. There was a Sousa march and the Pledge of Allegiance and the “Star Spangled Banner,” and no one “took a knee.” There was a biblical prayer by a Baptist preacher addressed to “Our Father in heaven” and concluding with “in the strong name of your Son and our Saviour, Jesus Christ the Lord.” Hallelujah! DeSantis is a fearless warrior for Old America, and his policies have prospered the state of Florida greatly. In his inaugural speech, he said, “Over the past few years, as so many states in our country grinded their citizens down, we in Florida lifted our people up. When other states consigned their people’s freedom to the dust bin, Florida stood strongly as freedom’s lynch pin. When the world lost its mind, when common sense suddenly became an uncommon virtue, Florida was a refuge of sanity, a citadel of freedom for our fellow Americans and even for people around the world. In captaining the ship of state, we choose to navigate the boisterous sea of liberty, rather than cower in the calm docks of despotism. Florida is number one in these United States in net in-migration. We are number one in new business formations. We are number one in tourism. We are number one in economic freedom. We rank number one in education freedom, and we rank number one in parental involvement in education. Florida also ranks number one in public higher education. This is a record we can all be proud of!” He noted that the state operates in the black and has a budget surplus. He promised to make school districts more responsive to parents and to rededicate high education to the pursuit of knowledge and truth, not “trendy ideologies.” He said, “We will protect our children against those who seek to rob them of their innocence,” referring to the leftist agenda of promoting transgenderism. He said, “We seek normalcy, not philosophical lunacy! We will not allow reality, facts, and truth to become optional! We will never surrender to the woke mob! Florida is where woke goes to die!”
(Friday Church News Notes, January 13, 2023, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)
