Spirit of America 250

Celebrate the faces, places and stories of our great nation! For 21 years, we’ve traveled the country to see 255 NPS sites, 42 states and countless attractions.

[Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_]

If reports are true that Dems are demanding judicial warrants for all ICE arrests as part of DHS funding bill, that will take a massive amount of targets off the board for ICE. They would only be able to go after illegal immigrants who have committed a new *federal* crime *after* entering the U.S. illegally.

State & local crimes would not apply. (Feds don’t enforce state & local).

For instance, if an illegal immigrant gets arrested in Minnesota for a DUI crash causing great bodily injury (state crime) and bonds out of jail, ICE would not be able to target him for arrest because there would be no judicial warrant (not a federal crime).

ICE would not be able to target anyone for just being in the U.S. illegally. They would have to wait for a federal crime to be committed, then a federal judge would have to sign off on probable cause for arrest.

It would cripple any hopes of “mass deportations” or widespread immigration enforcement.

Warrants are *not* required for ICE arrests under US law right now. They simply need probable cause that the target is detainable/deportable on immigration grounds and use I-200 and I-205 civil administrative warrants.

The most common judicial warrants ICE uses to target aliens right now is for illegal re-entry (8 USC 1326), a federal felony when a deported alien has re-entered the U.S. after deportation. But again, that is a limited population as most non-citizens haven’t been deported before.

ICE *does* need a judicial warrant to enter homes. Their administrative warrants do not allow them to enter private property. That’s why we often see them waiting for a target to go to or from work when they’re in public.

One ICE contact in a sanctuary city tells me: “If we need a judicial warrant for every arrest, we would maybe have 15 arrests in a year.” (In his city).

[Spirit of America 250 @SOA250]

OTD in 1915, President Theodore Roosevelt delivered a speech entitled “Americanism" in NYC. He defined what he believed made good Americans and a stronger America by laying out "principles of civil and religious liberty."

He declared that Americans must be loyal only to America and to democracy, and that social, economic, and military preparedness for war were critical. He argued for a clear separation of church and state and against "hypenated-Americans," whom he saw as not American at all.

Read the full address at Project Gutenberg: https://t.co/k3YuK3WYj0

[Spirit of America 250 @SOA250]

My favorite airport!

[Spirit of America 250 @SOA250]

Good grief! Today marks a milestone in the heart of American storytelling: the 75th anniversary of *Peanuts*, Charles M. Schulz's beloved comic strip that first appeared in newspapers on October 2, 1950.

Back in 1950, just five years after World War II's end, Schulz introduced Charlie Brown – ever-hopeful, often hapless – navigating life's curveballs with Snoopy perched atop his doghouse, dreaming of Red Baron dogfights.

From the earliest *Li'l Folks* sketches to over 17,000 strips syndicated in 75 countries, *Peanuts* became more than a comic, it became a mirror to our national soul.

#Peanuts75 #GoodGrief #CharlesSchulz

[Spirit of America 250 @SOA250]

Freedom! #CharlieKirkLegacy

[Spirit of America 250 @SOA250]

Powerful. What a message. God Bless Erika Kirk.

[Spirit of America 250 @SOA250]

Happy Constitution Day! Today we celebrate the 238th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution! On this date in 1787, 39 members of the Constitutional Convention signed this remarkable document that ushered in the dawn of the American republic. The Constitution united its citizens as members of a whole, vesting the power of the union in the people.

The U.S. Constitution, including all 27 amendments, is on full display for the first time in history at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. until October 1. #ConstitutionDay

[Spirit of America 250 @SOA250]

Happy 109th birthday to the National Park Service! It was created on August 25, 1916, to "preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations." The NPS has grown to more than 433 national parks across the USA. #npsfoundersday #GodBlessAmerica

[Spirit of America 250 @SOA250]

Amazing to think that these two photographs are only separated by 66 years.

[Spirit of America 250 @SOA250]

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
— Theodore Roosevelt

[Spirit of America 250 @SOA250]

On July 26, 1775, the Second Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin as the first Postmaster General, officially establishing the first version of the USPS.

Franklin began his postal career in 1737 when he was appointed Postmaster General in Philadelphia. He later became a joint Postmaster General. During this period, he revolutionized postal delivery by surveying 1,600 miles of post roads and introducing overnight delivery.

As America’s first Postmaster General, Franklin supervised mail delivery "from Falmouth in New England to Savannah in Georgia."

In addition to all his inventions (bifocals, the lightning rod, and the Franklin stove) Franklin also made vast improvements to make mail delivery fast and efficient. He stepped down as Postmaster General in November 1776. #soa250

[Spirit of America 250 @SOA250]

On July 23rd, 1785, Benjamin Franklin sailed across the Atlantic from France where he had been dispatched during the American Revolutionary War to secure French support against Britain. At 70 years old, Franklin was already a celebrated figure in Europe, known for his scientific achievements and diplomatic acumen.

The American colonies were struggling militarily and financially, and desperately needed France’s resources, navy, and international influence to counter British dominance. France saw an opportunity to weaken Britain by aiding the American rebels.

Franklin’s success in France not only secured American independence but also established the United States as a player on the global stage. The Franco-American alliance shifted the balance of power, forcing Britain to fight a broader war and hastening its defeat. Franklin’s diplomacy laid the groundwork for future U.S. foreign relations, emphasizing charm, pragmatism, and cultural engagement. #soa250

[Spirit of America 250 @SOA250]

On this day 56 years ago, we walked on the Moon.

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped off Apollo 11’s lunar module Eagle and onto the surface of the Moon. His words would become legendary: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

An estimated 600 million people watched it live – the largest TV audience in history at the time. Around the world, people stopped what they were doing to witness a moment once thought impossible.

Armstrong was soon joined by Buzz Aldrin, and the two spent 2 hours and 15 minutes outside the spacecraft, collecting rock samples, taking photographs, and conducting experiments. They also left behind a plaque that read:
“Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon, July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.”

The astronauts returned to the lunar module and, along with Michael Collins orbiting above in the command module Columbia, made it safely back to Earth.

The Moon landing wasn’t just a milestone in space exploration – it was a turning point in human history. A moment that proved we could leave our planet, cross the void, and touch the unknown.

[Spirit of America 250 @SOA250]

Billye Aaron, Hank Aaron’s wife, watching the amazing tribute to Hank and #715 at last nights All-Star game. Well done MLB.

[Spirit of America 250 @SOA250]

On July 16th 1969, #Apollo11 lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center to transport the first men – Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin – to the Moon. Walter Cronkite remarked at the time, “The dawn of this day heralded the dawning of a new age. It’s a time of exhilaration, reflection, hope, fulfillment – as a centuries’ old dream starts toward reality.” #nasa

[Spirit of America 250 @SOA250]

Saturday Evening Post Cover from May 26th 1945. This memorable Norman Rockwell scene shows a soldier returning home after the end of the war in Europe.

[Spirit of America 250 @SOA250]

Alexander Graham Bell introduced the telephone at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, PA. On July 9, 1877, one year later, the Bell Telephone Company was founded to sell this groundbreaking new invention. Bell eventually became American Telephone and Telegraph Company, aka AT&T.

In the Photo: Alexander Graham Bell opens the long-distance line from New York to Chicago, in 1892 (courtesy of the Library of Congress)

[Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute @RonaldReagan]

President Reagan reminds us what it means to be American. The countdown to #America250 starts now.

[Spirit of America 250 @SOA250]

Happy Independence Day America!! It was 249 years ago when 56 patriots gathered in Philadelphia - risking everything - to sign the Declaration of Independence. The document declared freedom and independence for the 13 original American colonies from the British crown.

Written by Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, the declaration changed the world forever by including the statement, “All Men Are Created Equal!”

Although the declaration had been signed, the war raged on for another 5 years. Of the 56 signers: 5 were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Nine fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. These men pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their honor to the ideal of a free America.

Let us celebrate our freedom, independence and our great nation today and every day as we strive to live up to the sacrifices made and the values enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. God Bless America! #happybirthdayamerica #fallbackinlovewithamerica #ProudToBeAnAmerican

[Spirit of America 250 @SOA250]

On July 3, 1775, George Washington took command of the Continental Army. He did so in dramatic style as he rode out in front of American troops gathered in Cambridge, MA, and drew his sword. When agreeing to lead the troops in their war for independence, he declined payment.