Boerner's Corner - The Spirit of America Update - (03-24-05) CAN THE SPIRIT OF OLD ANDY CARNEGIE GUIDE US TODAY?

THE SPIRIT OF AMERICA
February 15, 2005 post

THE INDOMITABLE SPIRIT OF THE AMERICANS... THE DOLLAR BILL OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Take out a one-dollar bill and look at it.

The one dollar bill you are looking at first came off the presses in 1957 in its present design. This so-called "paper money" is in fact a cotton and linen blend, with minute red and blue silk fibers running through, and it is actually cloth. We've all washed it without it falling apart.

A special blend of ink is used; the contents we will never know. It is overprinted with symbols and then it is starched to make it water resistant and pressed to give it that nice crisp look.

If you look on the front of the bill, you will see the United States Treasury Seal. On the top you will see the scales for the balance -- a balanced budget. In the center, you have a carpenter's T-square, a tool used for an even cut. Underneath is the Key to the United States Treasury. That's pretty easy to figure out, but what is on the back of that dollar bill is something we should all know.

If you turn the bill over, you will see two circles. Both circles, together, comprise the Great Seal of the United States. The First Continental Congress requested that Benjamin Franklin and a group of men come up with a Seal. It took them four years to accomplish this task and another two years to get it approved.

If you look at the left hand circle, you will see a Pyramid. Notice the face is lighted and the western side is dark. This country was just beginning. We had not begun to explore the West or what we could do for Western Civilization. The Pyramid is uncapped, again signifying that we were not even close to being finished.

Inside the capstone you have the seeing eye, and ancient symbol for divinity. It was Benjamin Franklin's belief that one man couldn't do it alone, but a group of men -- with the help of God -- could do anything.

"IN GOD WE TRUST" is clearly stated on this currency. The Latin above the pyramid, "ANNUIT COEPTIS," means, "God has favored our undertaking."

The Latin below the pyramid, "NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM," means "a new order has begun." At the base of the pyramid is the Roman numeral for 1776.

If you look at the right-hand circle, and check it carefully, you will learn that it is on every National Cemetery in the United States. It is also on the Parade of Flags Walkway at the Bushnell, Florida National Cemetery and is the centerpiece of most heroes' monuments.

Slightly modified, it is the seal of the President of the United States and it is always visible whenever he speaks, yet no one knows what the symbols mean.

The Bald Eagle was selected as a symbol for victory for two reasons:

First, he is not afraid of a storm; the eagle is strong and is smart enough to soar above it. Second, he wears no material crown. We had just broken from the King of England.

Also, notice that the shield is unsupported. This country could now stand on its own. At the top of that shield you see a white bar signifying The United States Congress, a unifying factor. We were coming together as one nation.

In the Eagle's Beak you will read, "E PLURIBUS UNUM," meaning, "one nation from many people."

Above the Eagle you have thirteen stars representing the thirteen original colonies, and any clouds of misunderstanding rolling away. Again, we were coming together as one.

A Dollar Bill. Notice what the Eagle holds in his talons. He holds an olive branch and arrows. This country wants peace, but we will never be afraid to fight to preserve peace. The Eagle always wants to face the olive branch, but in time of war, his gaze turns toward the arrows.

It is often believed that the number 13 is an unlucky number. This is almost a worldwide belief. You will usually never see a numbered 13 or any buildings with a 13th floor in the US.

But think about this:

13 original colonies,
13 stripes on our flag,
13 steps on the Pyramid,
13 letters in the Latin above,
13 letters in "E Pluribus Unum,"
13 stars above the Eagle,
13 plumes of feathers on each span of the Eagle's wing,
13 bars on that shield,
13 leaves on the olive branch,
13 fruits and, if you look closely,
13 arrows and, for minorities, the 13th Amendment.

Pass this on. Your children probably don't know this and their history teachers don't know this. Too many of our veterans have given up too much in the lives to ever let the meaning fade. Many veterans remember coming home to an America that didn't care. Too many veterans never came home at all.

Tell everyone what is on the back of the one dollar bill and what it stands for, because nobody else probably will.

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Originated with New York City attorney Robert Radway - Monday, October 29, 2001. Passed on by Hank Boerner to share as an expression of the indomitable Spirit of the American People and their Institutions.

February 2005