WE THE PEOPLE MUST FIGHT - THE SUNDAY COMMENTARY
The year is 1776. The Declaration of Independence had been signed in July but it was now December. Enlistments in the Continental Army were down as many soldiers chose to head home and care for their farms and families. General Washington was diplomatically attempting to encouraging the Continental Congress to supply the Army but that too was not going well.
Support among the Colonists was running about 50% with another estimated 30% still supporting the British Crown while the rest of the Colonists chose to remain neutral. Washington was desperately looking for a victory for two reason. One to bolster support for the Army and the Revolution and to gain much needed supplies for the Army that needing food, ammunition and clothing or the Independence from Britain stated by the Declaration may fall victim to a fledgling Army and lack of support from the Colonists.
Washington took bold action and on Christmas Eve attacked Trenton, New Jersey and the famed German Hessian's who as paid mercenaries for the British and consummate professional soldiers had wreaked havoc since coming to fight for the Crown. Washington's desperate move not only brought a much needed victory but bought time for the Continental Army and gained support on the home front.
The strength of one man and his persistent determination kept the Continental Army and the Revolution together when many including those in the Continental Congress thought of a negotiated peace with Britain and giving up on the idea of a free and separate Nation. The strength of this one man, George Washington made the difference between the continuation of British Colonies and a free Nation known as The United States of America.
It is this type of determination that the Framers of our Constitution, which included Washington, sought to pass on to future generations, enabling every citizen of this great Nation the ability to stand and fight against injustice and an expanding reach from an all powerful government that through its very size and scope take away the very freedoms that were fought for in the birth of this land.
Our Constitution begins with the phrase , "We the people." This is not just an eloquent beginning to a document establishing laws and rights for our country and her people, but an exacting statement that in three words establishes who and what we are as a country and why we exist as a Nation of free individuals with a God given right for , "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
As this Nation has grown and expanded especially in the 20th and the beginnings of the 21st we have forgotten in many ways the lesson that George Washington taught us through his determination and persistence, that in this Nation of free men and women one man can and must make a difference in order for our freedoms to remain and to prevent the government from controlling that which has been paid for by the price of precious blood in defense of this Nation since its birth.
Our liberties and freedom can only remain as such if we, just as George Washington did at Trenton when times were desperate, stand against all odds and fight for that in which we believe. George Washington fought the British and those in this country who were too weak to stand strong in the midst of what seemed to be despair. That determination by George Washington rallied the Nation time and again bringing victory in the Revolution and the establishment of a nation by and for the people.
We as a Nation have become accustomed to allowing those in Washington DC to determine our national destiny and make all of the decisions that effect this country even when those decisions disagree with our belief, our Constitution and slowly have taken this country from a free Republic to a Nation that has begun a dangerous slide into Socialism and bowing to the dictates of an ever encompassing federal government. In very many ways the very thing the Revolution fought to break away from.
Most have become complacent or adopted the attitude that it doesn't matter because Washington DC is going to do what it wants when it wants and we are powerless to prevent it. That my friend is why we find ourselves in the sinking boat that we are in, because, "we the people, " have forgotten the spirit of the Revolution and have chosen complacency over the free and Constitutional right to fight what we do not like about our government.
Those in Washington DC have taken advantage of this complacency and grown a government that daily seeks to further involve itself in the lives of every man, women and child in this country. In fact those in Washington DC in both parties but especially most on the left side of the isle see government as the solution to all problems. Ronald Reagan once said, "Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem."
As George Washington fought with unyielding determination to hold the Continental Army and the Revolution together despite desperation and despair, we must take that same determination and stand for the rights of , "we the people, " in this day and time and not continue to allow Washington DC to control every agenda and all aspects of our life.
We are still the power in this Nation and we have the laws of the Constitution to back us in our fight. If we as a people speak loud enough and in union against what we see as injustice by our own government those in Washington DC have no choice but to listen. They still understand that we are the owners of this land and as such have the right to tell them what to do rather than they dictate to us.
We must fight as George Washington did, leaving behind the complacency and the who cares attitude and en mass demand that those that WE have hired to represent us not only listen to us but move as we demand. Not just in those years that they are trying to get our vote to return them to their , "esteemed, " positions but every day and every year.
We proved when the Senate Amnesty bill was considered all but passed and made into law that if, "we the people, " stand as one and demand our rights and that our representatives work for us and not for lobbyists and special interests or their own good old boy club in DC, they will listen because deep down inside where they are afraid to admit it they KNOW that we are their boss and NOT the other way around.
We must fight, even if it means in a symbolic sense another American Revolution against an all encompassing government. This time our very own. Contact your Representatives, daily if necessary, and demand that they address those things that are eating away at the very fabric of our nation and taking us down the path of Socialism. Dismantling massive entitlements and out of control spending. Limiting the growth of and actually reversing the size of the federal government. Ending earmarks. Securing our borders and punishing those who hire and encourage illegal immigration.
Reforming the burdensome tax system and decreasing the tax burden. Protecting this Nation which is their Constitutional responsibility. Unless we are willing to stand up and fight for our rights as citizens then we deserve to have those liberties taken away because we have given up our yearning to cherish our freedom. George Washington would not have sat back and settled for complacency and my fellow Americans neither should we! We must fight!!!
Ken Taylor
Support among the Colonists was running about 50% with another estimated 30% still supporting the British Crown while the rest of the Colonists chose to remain neutral. Washington was desperately looking for a victory for two reason. One to bolster support for the Army and the Revolution and to gain much needed supplies for the Army that needing food, ammunition and clothing or the Independence from Britain stated by the Declaration may fall victim to a fledgling Army and lack of support from the Colonists.
Washington took bold action and on Christmas Eve attacked Trenton, New Jersey and the famed German Hessian's who as paid mercenaries for the British and consummate professional soldiers had wreaked havoc since coming to fight for the Crown. Washington's desperate move not only brought a much needed victory but bought time for the Continental Army and gained support on the home front.
The strength of one man and his persistent determination kept the Continental Army and the Revolution together when many including those in the Continental Congress thought of a negotiated peace with Britain and giving up on the idea of a free and separate Nation. The strength of this one man, George Washington made the difference between the continuation of British Colonies and a free Nation known as The United States of America.
It is this type of determination that the Framers of our Constitution, which included Washington, sought to pass on to future generations, enabling every citizen of this great Nation the ability to stand and fight against injustice and an expanding reach from an all powerful government that through its very size and scope take away the very freedoms that were fought for in the birth of this land.
Our Constitution begins with the phrase , "We the people." This is not just an eloquent beginning to a document establishing laws and rights for our country and her people, but an exacting statement that in three words establishes who and what we are as a country and why we exist as a Nation of free individuals with a God given right for , "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
As this Nation has grown and expanded especially in the 20th and the beginnings of the 21st we have forgotten in many ways the lesson that George Washington taught us through his determination and persistence, that in this Nation of free men and women one man can and must make a difference in order for our freedoms to remain and to prevent the government from controlling that which has been paid for by the price of precious blood in defense of this Nation since its birth.
Our liberties and freedom can only remain as such if we, just as George Washington did at Trenton when times were desperate, stand against all odds and fight for that in which we believe. George Washington fought the British and those in this country who were too weak to stand strong in the midst of what seemed to be despair. That determination by George Washington rallied the Nation time and again bringing victory in the Revolution and the establishment of a nation by and for the people.
We as a Nation have become accustomed to allowing those in Washington DC to determine our national destiny and make all of the decisions that effect this country even when those decisions disagree with our belief, our Constitution and slowly have taken this country from a free Republic to a Nation that has begun a dangerous slide into Socialism and bowing to the dictates of an ever encompassing federal government. In very many ways the very thing the Revolution fought to break away from.
Most have become complacent or adopted the attitude that it doesn't matter because Washington DC is going to do what it wants when it wants and we are powerless to prevent it. That my friend is why we find ourselves in the sinking boat that we are in, because, "we the people, " have forgotten the spirit of the Revolution and have chosen complacency over the free and Constitutional right to fight what we do not like about our government.
Those in Washington DC have taken advantage of this complacency and grown a government that daily seeks to further involve itself in the lives of every man, women and child in this country. In fact those in Washington DC in both parties but especially most on the left side of the isle see government as the solution to all problems. Ronald Reagan once said, "Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem."
As George Washington fought with unyielding determination to hold the Continental Army and the Revolution together despite desperation and despair, we must take that same determination and stand for the rights of , "we the people, " in this day and time and not continue to allow Washington DC to control every agenda and all aspects of our life.
We are still the power in this Nation and we have the laws of the Constitution to back us in our fight. If we as a people speak loud enough and in union against what we see as injustice by our own government those in Washington DC have no choice but to listen. They still understand that we are the owners of this land and as such have the right to tell them what to do rather than they dictate to us.
We must fight as George Washington did, leaving behind the complacency and the who cares attitude and en mass demand that those that WE have hired to represent us not only listen to us but move as we demand. Not just in those years that they are trying to get our vote to return them to their , "esteemed, " positions but every day and every year.
We proved when the Senate Amnesty bill was considered all but passed and made into law that if, "we the people, " stand as one and demand our rights and that our representatives work for us and not for lobbyists and special interests or their own good old boy club in DC, they will listen because deep down inside where they are afraid to admit it they KNOW that we are their boss and NOT the other way around.
We must fight, even if it means in a symbolic sense another American Revolution against an all encompassing government. This time our very own. Contact your Representatives, daily if necessary, and demand that they address those things that are eating away at the very fabric of our nation and taking us down the path of Socialism. Dismantling massive entitlements and out of control spending. Limiting the growth of and actually reversing the size of the federal government. Ending earmarks. Securing our borders and punishing those who hire and encourage illegal immigration.
Reforming the burdensome tax system and decreasing the tax burden. Protecting this Nation which is their Constitutional responsibility. Unless we are willing to stand up and fight for our rights as citizens then we deserve to have those liberties taken away because we have given up our yearning to cherish our freedom. George Washington would not have sat back and settled for complacency and my fellow Americans neither should we! We must fight!!!
Ken Taylor
6 Comments:
One third of today's Americans would force us to surrender sovereignty and turn it over to the U.N. followed by U.S. surrender all over the world.
One third of American's wouldn't care if they suceeded in doing so.
It's up to the remaining third (that's us) to stop them from doing it.
And we can. All we have to do is convince enough of the one third who don't care, but still vote, to take our side.
Not an easy thing to do. But much better than living as slaves to the U.N., the Chinese or the Islamists.
Yes, we must fight, and I also agree with Mike. Problem is that I see so many Americans who don't have a clue! They aren't paying attention, Ken, and it really is discouraging, but we've got to keep trying to get through to them!
That's a pwerful essay like post Ken. Aside from what Mike said there is a kind of pervasive political apathy in America which is not helping your cause, more to the point it’s progressively eroding the lessons that George Washington taught. I agree with Mike’s numbers; with a third working against you and another third not caring either way the challenge is great albeit urgent. The path to socialism is growing ever wider always keen to accommodate more followers.
Spot on post, Ken.
What makes ours an uphill battle is that once a point of complacency is reached, it becomes the "norm" and is hard to eradicate.
A good example would be all the toll booths that are installed "only as long as it takes for enough tolls to be collected to pay for the bridge construction". How many of those booths, once the revenue becomes an accustomed fixture, are ever closed, even long after said bridges are paid for?
The same applies to deviatory paths taken by Congress. Once they develop the habit of doing as they please, we are taken farther from the word of the Constitution as a matter of irrevocable policy.
The only way this will ever change will be for the third of which Mike speaks to join our third in voting out every last politician who has become comfortable with this deviation and elect people who will do the job as the Constitution specifies.
You just my feelings into words. Very good post
.... and because of this post, I just did something I have never done before. I just e-mailed my Congressman
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