“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
‘United we stand, divided we fall’[2]. We were united under one banner as a republic that stands for the rights of man. Why then “Can’t we all just get along”?[3] Even from the beginning there has been bickering over the mostly minor points of our government; yet even from the beginning we were a united people as exemplified by our founding documents. That’s why we are called the
The ‘Natural Laws’; concepts of unalienable rights,
inalienable duties, habeas corpus, limited government, separation of powers,
checks and balances, self-preservation, right to contract, protection of
marriage and family, justice by reparation, right to bear arms and no taxation
without representation were established by Cicero Cicero
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious
people. It is wholly inadequate to the
government of any other.”[6]
Religion, virtue, education and morality were viewed as the foundations of our
nation. “Of all the dispositions and
habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are
indispensable supports…”[7] There were five “fundamental Points” of
religion that Franklin America Jefferson
said these five basics are the principles “in which God has united us
all”.
Our founders knew that our country would inevitably go
through periods of swinging to the left (tyranny – being controlled by others)
and the right (anarchy – no laws). The
balance between these two is what they, and we, strive for. Monarchy would be on the far left and no
restraints whatsoever would be on the far right. Society needs restraints from both ends of
the spectrum, to secure the unalienable rights of the people. “A government big enough to give you everything you
want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.”[8] “My reading
of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much
government.”[9]
A study should be conducted of those politicians who have
substantially increased their personal fortunes, while in service to their
nation. Political office, in our nation
was intended to be looked on as a duty of honor; not as a means for one to
feather his nest. Many of our founders
lost wealth in the service of the nation.
Thomas Jefferson, for example, paid all of the expenses for White House
entertainment. This put him in debt from
his presidency. The large landholders,
such as Washington and Jefferson, neglected their holdings while serving and
suffered severe loss. Washington America
Suffice it to say, there has always been some form of
hatred associated with politics, even from the beginning. Washington and Jefferson hated the
monarchists that had infiltrated the Federalists. The Federalist hated the Republicans. For the most part, they respected each other
on a personnel basis. The
Lincoln/Douglas race was one of the most vitriolic in our history. Jackson Jefferson campaign (although
personally directed nastiness was always around). The lack of reconciliation seems to be
lacking in today’s world. Our founders once thought virtue and morality
to be necessary. Today both seem to be
diminished in importance.
An outside view was forthcoming from Alexis de Tocqueville,[13] a
French jurist who visited our young country in 1831. “in France
I had almost always seen the spirit of religion and the spirit of freedom marching
in opposite directions, but in America United States New England every citizen receives the elementary notions
of human knowledge; he is taught, moreover, the doctrines and the evidences of
his religion, the history of his country, and the leading features of its
Constitution. In the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts
“In God we trust was adopted as the official motto of the United States in 1956. It is also the motto of the U.S. state of Florida. The phrase has appeared on
All men are created equal.
Since we know that we are all different at birth, in areas such as
intelligence, talent, physical ability and inheritance, we are truly only equal
in three ways; (1) In the sight of God, (2) In the sight of the law and (3) In
the protection of our rights.[15] “What does it mean to have equal
‘rights’? The goal of society is to
provide ‘equal justice’ which means protecting the rights of the people
equally:
At the bar of justice, to
secure their rights.
At the ballot box, to vote
for the candidate of their choice.
At the public school, to
obtain their education.
At the employment office, to
compete for a job.
At the real estate agency, to
purchase or rent a home.
At the pulpit, to enjoy freedom
of religion.
At the podium, to enjoy
freedom of speech.
At the microphone or before
the TV cameras, to present views on the issues of the day.
At the meeting hall, to
peaceably assemble.
At the print shop, to enjoy
freedom of the press.
At the store, to buy the
essentials or desirable things of life.
At the bank, to save and
prosper.
At the tax collectors office,
to pay no more than their fair share.
At the probate court, to pass
on to their heirs the fruits of life’s labors.”[16]
Why is it that so many people, from all nations and walks
of life, are clamoring to get into the United States America
Equal rights do not mean we are all entitled to the same
outcome. Due to our inherent talents and
personal motivation, we make for ourselves the eventual outcome. “He, who does not work, shall not eat” is
stated in the Bible and by the early settlers in Jamestown , Virginia
The right to our personal property is the most important
right we have and the basis for our other rights. If we possessed a great plantation or simply
the clothes on our back; without the right to property, we have little or no
use for our other rights. Our other
rights and freedoms, such as freedom of speech, freedom of petition and freedom
of the press can all be used in attempts to get back our property but would be
an uphill battle. Others, who had seized
the property, would fight to retain it.
Many of our tax and redistribution laws are infringements of our
constitutional rights. I don’t know how
governments could function without taxes, but, all forms of tax should be
examined to determine their constitutionality.
Our governmental representatives are, in theory, our employees who will
conform to our wishes. If they do not,
the election process can fix the problem.
If your elected officials represent your mindset, fine, if they don’t;
it is your duty to do everything in your power to get someone into those
positions that does. Any politician who
knowingly votes in opposition to his constituency should be removed from
office. Any politician who knowingly
votes for something they know to be unconstitutional should be removed from
office. “The Constitution is not an instrument for the
government to restrain the people; it is an instrument for the people to
restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.”[18] With freedom and liberty, comes responsibility.
Civility is the duty of each of us. I have been told that I have, at times,
overstepped these bounds. If that is
true, I apologize and am truly sorry. I
will, in future, recalculate the manner in which I express myself, knowing that
the attributes of honey far outweigh those of vinegar. I believe very strongly in the things that I
write and depend on reason, God’s guidance and the aid of my wife to reign in
my passions.
[1]
Wikipedia
[2] Esop
620-564 BC
[3] Rodney
King
[4] Proverbs
22:6
[5] 106-43
BC
[6] John
Adams
[7] George
Washington
[8] Gerald
R. Ford
[9] Thomas
Jefferson
[10] Ben
Franklin
[11] Ben
Franklin
[12] Ben
Franklin
[13] Alexis
de Tocqueville’s book “Democracy in America
[14]
Wikipedia
[15] W.
Cleon Skoucen “The 5000 Year Leap”
[16] W.
Cleon Skoucen “The 5000 Year Leap”
[17] W.
Cleon Skoucen “The 5000 Year Leap”
[18] Patrick
Henry
0 comments:
Post a Comment