People sometimes say we are losing our rights. They point to smoking bans as one example.

The fact is, we have more than ever. The election of an African-American as U.S. president serves as a prime example. More people today are guaranteed the promise of equality and liberty than at any time in American history.

That is wonderful. That is the America people love.

And if you know history, you know it started with President Andrew Jackson. Awful as some of his other deeds were, he nonetheless is the president who ensured this country wasn’t just going to belong to the land-owning gentry. His election opened the hopes of the common man, even if at the time it was the common white man.

That promise of equality was out of the bottle. Once begun, it continued to grow. It was an idea that could be slowed but could not be stopped. It expanded with abolishing of slavery, extending voting rights to blacks and women, making citizens of the Native Americans, changing society and laws during the civil rights movement, and passing several key amendments to the U.S. Constitution. It is a story that repeats itself over and over in American history and will continue.

This is all possible because of the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.

Today, we thank our veterans for securing liberty. We thank them for fighting for defending this idea of equality.

And for the U.S. soldiers presently fighting wars, we pray for their safe return.

Have a solemn and thoughful Veterans Day.