From Alabama's First Lady, Patsy Riley

Alabama Executive Mansion Foundation
1142 South Perry Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36104

July 1, 2008

Dear Friends,

As many of you know, we are well on our way to finishing the Hill House next door to the Governor’s Mansion. This house will be such a treasure for Alabama.

It is my hope that this one hundred year old home will be enjoyed by visitors from other states as part of our tourism program. Also, my vision is to have this wonderful home for meetings, dinners, luncheons, and receptions. This wonderful place should be used as an asset as you and I strive together to make Alabama its best.

In order to have the house open by early fall, I need your help. Oh, I will still be having fundraisers that are always “Fun Raisers,” but I really need help right now.

Every donation is important to the home. Every cent goes straight to the furnishings and restoration of the house and grounds.

So many Alabamians have given so much already. The house is so close to being finished, but I feel it must be done appropriately before I can open those big front doors and say, “Welcome to your Hill House.”

Please help me with whatever you feel passionate about giving. Very soon we can join together and present this “Grand Ole Lady” to our great State of Alabama.

Yours truly,

Patsy Riley
First Lady of Alabama

Question

Why is it that some liberals seem to be offended when we say "God bless America". They rant around as if when we say "God bless America" we are also saying "God don't bless anyone else". Over the past July 4th week, I've read this type of commentary on several political and spiritual blogs. It's confusing to me. Are they saying that if we pray "God bless my mother who has cancer" that we are also saying "God don't bless others who have cancer"? "God bless my children" would really mean "God don't bless other children". "God forgive me of my sins" then means "God don't save anyone else". "God keep bless my marriage" would ultimately mean "God disrupt all other marriages".

Strange.

I'm not sure why some liberal thinking people want to take this train of thought. By no means does a God fearing person ever intend "God bless America" to mean something other than "God bless America". There is no hidden meaning, no hidden agenda. It's just a prayer folks. Not meant to take blessings from anyone else. Just a simple prayer.

Oh and by the way, unashamedly I pray, "God please bless America".

Kelley Smith
Americanism Chairman

4th of July Thoughts

As we enter into this wonderful holiday weekend full of family and fun, it's important to take a few minutes and remember the reason for our celebration...Freedom.

We have freedom to gather our families and friends around us and have games, fun, food, hugs, kisses, sentimental moments and conversation. Conversation that might include disagreeing on political and even religious issues. In a place where the government controls all, we would never have the opportunity to share those things and certainly never be afforded the opportunity to disagree. The joy would be removed from life if freedom were to be removed.

God gave man free will so that we could enjoy the blessings of choosing to do the right thing. And He seems to take pleasure in those small acts of obedience. There is no greater surge of joy than choosing to do right when everyone else is doing wrong.

Our forefathers granted us the liberty and freedom to choose to do right. To spread our wings and enjoy life as we see fit, without fear that the government could halt our joy and stop our progress.

Spiritual and eternal freedom comes to us through the one who made us. The one who loves us more than we can imagine, God Almighty. Political freedom and all the other freedoms we have as citizens of the United States are not granted by political leaders and Presidents, they were granted to us many years ago in a small room full of wisdom filled men July 4, 1776. It is now our duty to appreciate those freedoms and resolve ourselves to living in a manner worthy of the sacrifices that it takes to retain those freedoms. That's not too much to ask.

Kelley Smith
Americanism Chair AFRW

4th of July Article by AFRW President Bobbie Lou Leigh

As a former teacher, I cannot look upon the 4th of July without remembering the history behind this Holiday. Do not forget that it is called Independence Day. After signing the Declaration of Independence, John Adams wrote to wife Abigail, "I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding Generations as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by Solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shrews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more." (taken from How to Raise An American by Myrna Blyth) (Shrews meaning shows)

In reading that quote, it struck me that some of the Bill of Rights were being highlighted. Yes it should be a day of Solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty and today many church's do hold services on this occasion. We must keep God at the forefront of our nation. Did John Adams say we should celebrate with guns? We must remember that back then everyone owned guns, for purposes that we do not need today. But we do have the right to bear arms and we saw this right upheld by the United States Supreme Court just last week.

Yes, the 4th of July is to be celebrated. It is a time that I will pull out my history books and relive that time of our great nation. I will pester my great niece Mackenzie to see just how much she knows about the meaning of the 4th. I doubt that she has read the great classic Johnny Tremaine by Esther Forbes. I will pass that on to her and will hear a moan that Aunt Bobbie always shows up with a book. This weeks NFRW's Mamie Eisenhower Library Project Book of the Week is Yankee Doodle America: The Spirit of 1776 from A to Z by Wendell Minor. Sounds like something else I must go check out for myself and the young people in my family. For me, I must pass on the meaning of this day to the next generation so that they will understand why it is not just a day off from work.

July 4th Article from AFRW Vice President Elois Zeanah

As we approach the 4th of July and as Americanism Chair for AFRW, I challenged our leadership to write essays on "Why the 4th of July is more than just a day off from work." Thanks to those who are participating. Check back in the rest of this week to read more. Enjoy reading Elois' essay this beautiful Tuesday morning in America. God bless America and God bless our world.

The upcoming election has caused me to remember what July 4^th really means. I find myself brooding about the November elections as I worry about the future of our country and the lessening of core values that made America the greatest nation on earth and the hope and inspiration of the world. Today's challenges on many fronts threaten us. I worry a lot. As I prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July with my family and think about what the 4^th of July means, I feel better.

July 4^th is much more than just a day off work or an opportunity to gather loved ones around us and to enjoy our favorite foods and past-times. July 4^th is our country’s birthday. The Declaration of Independence is like a birth certificate for the United States. It is not just a political document to be signed and used to win an election, its promises soon forgotten. It is proof of our country’s birth. It is the expression of why our country was created. It was the beginning of the greatest government experiment in history. It is the country’s heart and soul. It is why our eyes mist when we salute our Flag. It is why we proudly fly the Red-White-and-Blue stars and stripes. It is why we wrap the caskets of Fallen Heroes with our glorious Flag.

July 4^th makes us proud of our past. It gives us courage and hope. Flying the flag, saying the Pledge of Allegiance, and celebrating the Fourth of July are spiritual. The Declaration of Independence recognized a higher power as a guiding force in the founding of our country. And it gives us the right to “alter or abolish” the current government and “to institute a new Government” if “government becomes destructive” to the tenets of our country’s founding principles. We do this through elections.

My mood is improved. I know that after the Fourth of July weekend has passed, I will slip back into the awareness that surveys show that our national identity is threatened and worry. We must do something about the lack of knowledge among students and adults about the history of our country and founding principles that were enshrined to guide and protect our country, about the lack of leadership courage of politicians to practice and protect the rights embodied in the Declaration of Independence and enshrined in our Constitution in order to “buy” votes, and so on. But yet …

There is hope! This upcoming election makes me ever more thankful for what July 4^th really means!

Where Alabama Stands in the Presidential Election

Read the latest polling data by clicking here.

Alabama Senate Race

Senator Jeff Sessions has a substantial lead over Democratic rival Vivian Figures, but that's not enough to let us relax. It's at times like this that we really need to encourage everyone to get out and vote. Saying things like "Jeff has got this one" can led to a low voter turn out and it can have devastating results. So enjoy this summer lead, but GET OUT THE VOTE in November. See latest polling data here.