Received this, reread it, and still found it fascinating. I think you
will too.
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Take out a one dollar bill and look at it. In 1957,
the one dollar bill you're
looking at came off the presses in its present design.
This so-called paper money is in fact a cotton and linen blend, with
red and blue minute silk fibers running through it. It is actually
material. We've all washed it without it falling apart. A special
blend of ink is used; the contents of which are kept secret; i.e.,
we will
never know the ink formula. 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, i.e., 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 all 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 that the face is lighted, and the western side is
dark. This country was just beginning. We had not begun to explore
the West nor decided 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, there is the all-seeing eye, an
ancient symbol for divinity.
It was 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 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
hero's 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, he is strong, and he is
smart enough to soar above it. Secondly, he wears no material crown.
We had just broken from the King of England. Also, notice the shield
is unsupported. This country can now stand on its own. At the top of
that shield you have a white bar signifying 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. 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.
They say that the number 13 is an unlucky number. This is almost a
worldwide belief. You will usually not see a room numbered 13 nor
any hotels or motels with a 13th floor. 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.
Your children don't know this and their history
teachers probably don't know it. Too many veterans have given up too
much 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 will.
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