A lot of people are concerned these days for the future of our country. The left is concerned that they won’t be able to act fast enough to bring their new utopian vision to fruition; the right is concerned that if the left has their way, we will no longer be America. If you have read my rants and observations for very long, you know which side I stand on. It is so easy to get lost in the minutiae, ’the health-care crisis’, global warming, etc., that it is easy to forget that it is really very simple.
It all comes down to this simple equation:
Either the Constitution means what it says, or it doesn’t.
We the people are either the final arbiters of what it says and more importantly, what limitations it places on government, or we aren’t.
If the answer to either of those propositions is negative, than all freedom is an illusion.
If the answer to both of those propositions is positive, then we each have a choice to make, because if it hasn’t become clear to you yet, you should know that ‘the government’, those tasked to rule within the confines of the law set forth in the Constitution, is now largely a mix of conniving schemers who will ignore it when they can no longer twist it to meet their ends, and ignoramuses, who have no idea what it says and cannot contemplate a limitation on their ultimate aims and powers, both intent on centralizing their power without regard to the cost or the damage they leave in their wake.
Part of the reason that we find ourselves in the predicament we’re in today is because the schemers deftly distracted us, and because we ourselves comforted ourselves with the idea that someone was going to “take care of it”, and nothing would be expected of us…we who understood what was going on, and quietly abdicated our duty to become involved and take our turn preserving and defending the republic not just against its enemies, but from a creeping lack of character that allowed such craven calculation to run its course, and make corruption commonplace.
Reagan, the last great defender of the American Ideal, is dead. His armor lies empty, his sword rusting, and all because those who know the chorus refuse to sing out. The sweep of the wind and the furtive movements of the spoilers are the dominant features of our political landscape because we have allowed those without moral guidance to makes us ashamed of our own. Such is our sorrow, and we will have to complete the bitter harvest from the salted earth before we can begin anew.
Just something to consider as the Senate considers bills that would fundamentally change our concept of freedom and liberty moving forward.
Seriously, BiW, if you need to say something to me, you have my email. No point in making backhanded references in blog posts.
You aren’t the only one who’s said it. And I figure you’ll read it or not, then simply say it and move on. Others have used it as an excuse to whine like a welfare momma whose check from Uncle Sugar is two days late. That’s who the disclaimer was intended for.
By the way, great post.
SeeDubya recommends reading Bastiat’s The Law in these troubled times.
Kinda like that crap somebody was tossing out on their Facechump page.
“bloviating”
WELL!!! I never!
Careful, B! Keep making sense like that right out in front of God and everybody, and you’ll get yourself a reputation!
Apropos of which, one of the rhetorical motifs the Left has used in recent years is that freedom really is an illusion. Their argument? Well, you’re not free to defy gravity, are you? Or go without food for a whole year, right? Therefore you’re not free.
As for property rights: if your car is stolen from you, does it try to return to you of its own accord? No? Well, then there’s no such thing as a natural right to your property!
I have had to defeat these “arguments” myself on several occasions.
Fran,
I get the feeling that you and I could have some interesting conversations.
I’ve been involved in taxations for lengthier then I care to admit, both on the individual side (all my working life!!) and from a legal stand since passing the bar and following tax law. I’ve rendered a lot of advice and rectified a lot of wrongs, and I must say that what you’ve put up makes impeccable sense. Please carry on the good work – the more individuals know the better they’ll be armed to deal with the tax man, and that’s what it’s all about.