Icebergs and Appleseed..Oh My!
August 22nd, 2008 . by FunfalerHuh? So is Appleseed the cause of global warming or the sinking of the Titanic?
As we look at USS America, we see she is taking on water and starting to list a good bit. This is caused by neglect of those that have been running her and living in her, in the generations after April 19th, 1775. They, and we, have let The Good Ship Freedom run into disrepair and in to troubled waters. This is exactly what Appleseed is striving to fix.
The Project Appleseed has, as its cause, the preservation and teaching of our Heritage, to let folks see the charted course that the Founders have passed on to us, so that we can get this Liberty Lady back on course. The Founders of this nation have given us a great gift, through great sacrifice to their generation, so that future generations could benefit, we owe them greatly.
So allow me to paint a picture of the scene on the USS America, to try to illustrate where she is, and what is being done to keep her floating for the next generations.
We all know that the Good Ship Freedom is struggling, else you would not likely be reading this (if you are blessed to have a friend that forwarded this to you, and you have not seen the signs, just look about you, they are there for sure). Unlike the Titanic, we have no life boats, no rescue ships. Are the French, Chinese or the UN going to come to the rescue of our ship? Not much of a chance of that. So the task of saving our ship falls upon our shoulders, much like it fell on the shoulders of those of 1775, who built and set sail this vessel of Liberty.
As we stand on the decks of USS America, we can make some observations of the efforts and progress of the passengers, to save their own home, to save the vessel for their children and grandchildren.
Some, a very precious few, are in the bowels of the boat, seeing the icy waters rushing in, and they are bailing! Bailing like their lives and those of their children rely on their efforts. These are true Americans, those that share a spirit with those of 1775, those that know what they are about and what a great blessing it is to be American. They know that there are icebergs in the waters around them, but they also know that their efforts are meaningful and practical, in the salvation of the entire ship, for all, even those that are not bailing.
Many folks are on the upper decks. Some are just so clueless, that they don’t know that their refuge is in peril or that around them, their ship is sinking and that their very existence is in jeopardy. This is one of the tasks of Appleseed, to help these folks to see what this ship once was, and how she can be the great Queen of the seas again. More on this later.
However, there are a great many folks on the upper deck, that KNOW that USS America is in trouble, they KNOW that their future is in doubt, they KNOW that their children and grandchildren will inherit a decrepit and sinking vessel, if nothing is done. These folks are good folks, they may be good intentioned, but they are motionless to pick up a bucket and start bailing.
Some of these folks are standing at the rail. They will tell each other that the ship is sinking. But they still stand there, looking at all the icebergs in the water, worrying and discussing what one will sink their ship. They want to name these icebergs, perhaps they look out and start to label them: The UN, China, Federal Government, Illegal Aliens, Green Aliens, you name it! There are many threats to our Ship of Liberty, but standing on the decks, debating which one will sink us first does nothing to save our ship! Who really cares what iceberg rips the hole in the side? USS America will sink just the same, and once gone, no one will care what the cause, as there will be no one left who cares.
So, we at Appleseed don’t care what the names of the icebergs are, because the solution is the same for all of them! BAIL!! That is right, it is straight forward. We need to get as many Americans bailing on the Good Ship Freedom, as possible, as soon as possible. Eventually we will change the tide. At some point there will be a tipping of the scale, in favor for Americans and Liberty. The USS America will right herself, but only when enough Americans understand how to bail, are equipped with a bucket and put it to work. Iceberg identification (we call it “iceberging”) may satisfy the 21st Century American desire to whine, do little, and expect someone else to do the hard work, but it does NOTHING to save our ship. The solution to all the icebergs is the same; hearts and minds of today’s Americans getting spurred to actions, not words.
Another group of bystanders, on the upper decks are those that are not picking up their buckets and bailing, because “they are just one person, what impact can they have on such a large ship”. These folks are paralyzed by the apparent hopelessness of the task. But one has to ask, what is the result of doing nothing? Sure sinking, there is not doubt about that! Bailing is the cure, we just need to apply it in a large enough dose to make it effective. That is where Appleseed comes in, equipping Americans with the tools and knowledge to effectively bail. Will we succeed, well, there is no assurance. But keep in mind that there were no assurances in 1775! Those of 1775 had never seen USS America float and were not SURE that she would. We are not sure that we can keep her afloat, but the result of not trying is just as sure as the result of those in 1775 not trying, NO FREEDOMS, NO LIBERTIES. So, we owe it to them to preserve what they have given us, we owe it to our children to pass on a better vessel than we have inherited.
Appleseed = Bailing!
Appleseed gets people to focus on the solutions, not the problems! Equipping them with buckets, showing them where the leaks are and teaming them with others that can build an effective bucket brigade.
With the new state level Appleseed efforts, now in over 30 states, Appleseed is working to build 50 teams, one for each compartment in USS America. These teams have more than enough potential to bail their portion of the ship dry and to help folks to keep it that way. Each state Appleseed chapter is charged with several different tasks, but one of the key ones is to direct Appleseeders to the various buckets that exist in their state.
There are many different organizations and programs in each state that have buckets sitting idle, that need operators, we want to send them Appleseeders that are knowledgeable about their Heritage, motivated to become active and have the confidence to be effective. As the state level Appleseed programs grow, they will produce modern Americans, with the heart and spirit of the Founders! They will (and are currently doing so in many places) step up, shoulder to shoulder, with those within their states that already have a good, state specific, bailing program. Appleseed need not reinvent any wheels, they are in place. Appleseeders just need the heart and minds of the builders of USS America!
This is just one of the many ways that Appleseed can take the efforts of one, multiply it into action of many, to effect the solution of ALL the icebergs. Building an America of ‘doers’, or of bailers, that is the goal of Appleseed. The icebergs were there in 1775, they will be there in 2075, the solution will be same as it always has been. Americans must fix their own problems, starting with their own hearts and minds, in their compartment of the ship.
I hope to ramble in the future about the efforts and successes of Project Appleseed in righting USS America, there are many, with many more in the works. Most Americans don’t see them, perhaps because they are standing on the deck, looking over the rail and talking about the chunks of ice. If they would just turn away from the distraction of naming the icebergs, go below deck and see the work being done, the solution in action, they too could become part of the solution! They too can see the Hope in action, rather than inaction.
Welcome aboard, here is your bucket, the water is over there. Those still on the deck may wonder if they doing enough for Liberty, those in the bilge, with buckets in their hands…They will KNOW!