WHY A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?

WHY A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?

RIGHTS & AUTHORITY

By:  Mike Foil

 

The War for Independence had just been won.  Thirteen sovereign States were operating under the Articles of Confederation, which had already been shown to be inadequate.  The leaders called for a second constitutional convention to “fix” the Articles of Confederation. 

When these men gathered in Philadelphia, in May of 1787, it did not take long to realize that the Articles of Confederation did not need to be revised, but needed to be replaced.  During this convention, the men produced a proposed Constitution for the United States of America. 

First of all, what is the Constitution? 

The delegates to the convention drew up an agreement; which, if ratified (agreed to and adopted) by the States; would establish a Federal Government.  The Constitution lays out the rules for the operation of such a government.  That’s pretty much it.  The various articles in the Constitution detail what each of the three branches of government are permitted to do.  We refer to the list of duties or powers of the government as the enumerated powers.  In other words, this document established a new government for a few, very specific purposes. 

The Constitution was submitted to the 13 states for debate and possible ratification.  Once approved (by at least nine), a Federation would be formed including all States who ratified the Constitution.  Any State that did not vote to ratify would not be a part of the Federation.  Each State maintained the power to decide its own direction as relates to this matter.  Remember, the States are sovereign and independent. 

Why would independent and sovereign States vote to form a general government, under a Constitution, which would preside over a confederation of the States? 

During the few years that had passed, after declaring independence, it became clear that the individual states could not do certain things separately, as well as a general government could do on their behalf.  The States formed a confederation (alliance) whereby, jointly they would be better able to perform certain aspects of running a country. 

ALL other duties, aspects and powers of government; the States and the people reserved to themselves. 

Who were the parties to the Constitution or the constitutional convention? 

The parties with the authority to call for a convention and to implement the Constitution, which would establish the general government for the United States, were the 13 States and them alone.  The Federal Government was NOT a party to the Constitution. 

It is important that we understand this issue.  The States, through ratification, agreed to the specific document that listed the limited powers of the general government that they (the States) were establishing.  The general government had no say in the convention, the wording of the Constitution, the powers granted by the States, the restrictions to the power of the general government, the debate or the approval.  It could not, as it did not exist prior to ratification by the States. 

The 13 States created the general government, which is the creature designed by the States in the Constitution.  As the creature, it does not have the authority to alter the rules and guidelines approved by its creators.  It only has the power to do those things written in the Constitution, no more. 

Who defines the limits on governmental power?

Along this same line, the creature does not have the authority to define the rules under which it operates.  Only the parties to the formation of the government have that power.  This is the reason that the government cannot add or alter amendments to the Constitution on its own.  A proposed amendment is submitted to the various States for their approval.  If the States reject a proposed amendment, there is nothing the government can do about it.  The States retained the authority over defining the power of the general government.  They approved a Federal Government to operate on their behalf in areas of granted authority, only. 

This understanding, where the States decided the power and authority of the general government, sheds light on a decision where the Supreme Court decided that they are the final authority as to what is and is not constitutional and what the powers or limits on power are as relates to itself and the other two branches of government.  What is wrong with this declaration of final authority?  The States did not produce or approve a document which would establish a government which would then set its own boundaries and dominate over them in any and all areas which the government chooses.  The Supreme Court is legally bound by the restrictions, set forth in the Constitution, as to what power it has and the limits beyond which it is not allowed to expand.  It does not have the authority to expand its own power. 

In order to make this perfectly clear, the 10^th Amendment was added to the Constitution.  It states:  “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”  The wording in the Constitution, as ratified, made this clear; but the States wanted it to be stated in writing so there would be no confusion as to the restrictions on the general government’s power. 

Notice that our country is called the United States of America.  There is a reason for the use of the word “United”.  We did not form a country where the States lost their independence or sovereignty.  We created a government to do only the things which would be done better as a whole and not as 13 individual states. 

We delegated only “few and defined” powers to the federal government. These are the “enumerated powers” listed in the Constitution. These enumerated powers concern:

• Military defense, international commerce & relations;
• Control of immigration and naturalization of new citizens;
• Creation of a uniform commercial system: Weights & measures, patents & copyrights, money based on gold & silver, bankruptcy laws, mail delivery & some road building; and
• With some of the Amendments, protect certain civil rights and voting rights (for blacks, women, citizens who don’t pay taxes, and citizens 18 years and older).

It is only with respect to the “enumerated powers” that the federal government has lawful authority over the Country at large!!!  All other powers are “reserved to the several States” and The People.

Why do we have the Bill of Rights?

Not only did the States want the 10^th Amendment to be put in writing but they had several other issues they wanted to be in print, also.  This was intended to make it very clear to the new government that they were not to withhold or restrict the rights of the people or the authority of the States.  Almost immediately, the States ratified the Bill of Rights, which includes the first ten amendments.

“The Bill of Rights” is somewhat misleading for a name or title to these amendments.  It has the implication that these amendments granted or are the source of these rights mentioned within the amendments.  These amendments do not grant any rights to the people.  What they do is prohibit the government from messing with these rights. 

If we did not gain these rights from the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, or the Federal Government; where did the people get their rights?  When did the people gain their rights?  The answer lies in the understanding proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, which states: 

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”

Did you catch that?  Our rights come from God.  They predate the government and the Constitution.  They existed prior to the Declaration of Independence.  The Bill of Rights was added to restrict government.  Examples are found in the first amendment, “Congress shall make no law…” and in the second, “…shall not be infringed.” 

Can the Federal Government restrict our rights?

Since the people did not receive their rights from the government, the government has no right to take them away or restrict them.  Notice also, in the above quote, one of the reasons the States formed the general government was “to secure these rights”.  Secure them, not attempt to restrict them on every turn. 

The Federal Government has no Constitutional authority to limit our rights in any fashion.  The Supreme Court does not have the authority to define, for us, what our rights are and are not.  We The People, through our States, created the Federal Government and it was not so that they would grow and dominate us in all things whatsoever. 

The Constitution established a government to serve the States and the people.  They work for us, not the other way around.  The ultimate political authority in our system is us, WE THE PEOPLE – we are the “pure original fountain of all legitimate political authority” (Federalist No. 22, last para). 

What is the remedy for usurpation of power by the Federal Government?

The Framers of the Constitution were very clear as to what should be done when the Federal Government overstepped its lawful authority.  This situation was answered in the Federalist papers, which is a collection of articles written by some of the same men who helped write the Constitution and were there for the debates.  They were offering explanations for the various questions and concerns presented during the ratification process.

If a new law was passed, which was a bad law, but dealt with an issue under which the Federal Government did have authority to operate; the remedy was through the courts (as the Supreme Court was given the authority to deal with issues under the Constitution).  If not solved that way, the remedy was for the people to vote in new people who would correct the injustice previously done.

If either the President or members of the Supreme Court were responsible for acts which violated the restrictions placed on them by the Constitution, it is the responsibility of the Congress to impeach the offending parties and remove them from office or the Court.  (You may be thinking that justices on the Supreme Court are appointed for life terms.  But, you would be in error.  The Constitution states that they are appointed for a term where they exhibit “good behavior”.  Violating the Constitution is not good behavior and if they have done so, they should be impeached.)

If a new law was passed, but was outside the legal authority of the Constitution, this was considered to be usurpation by the Federal Government.  Per the Founders, any such law was to be treated as no law whatsoever.  The Government does not have legal authority to make laws which are in areas reserved to the States or the people by the Constitution.  When they do so, the law is invalid.  It is also usurpation for the Government to make laws restricting our rights.

The method to be used by the States to deal with usurpation, other than through elections, is nullification.  This is a beautiful concept which is perfectly suited to be the remedy whereby the States protect and defend the People from tyranny and usurpation. 

What is nullification?

Simply stated, nullification is the process whereby a State acts to formally nullify (invalidate) a Federal law, rule, executive order, or federal court decision which that State believes to be unconstitutional.  This is the tool States are to use to keep the Federal Government from overstepping its authority and harming the People or the States in general.  This is an act which works to “secure” our rights. 

Some have argued that nullification is not a valid tool to be used by States.  If not, then how are States to deal with a general government which has over-reached and has imposed tyrannical laws on the people? 

Remember, it is the States that created the Federal Government and it is the States that have the authority to rein this government in to its proper realm of operation.  Without the weapon of nullification, States would be helpless to control the monster they created. 

 

For a more detailed explanation of the above issues, visit the blog by Publius Huldah at:

http://publiushuldah.wordpress.com/

In her articles is a wealth of information and an education on the Constitution. 

ENTITLEMENT

ENTITLEMENT

“The belief that we are deserving of or entitled to privileges”

Have we created a monster?  We in America are guilty of falling into the same trap where the European countries find themselves.  “Social Justice” is wearing away at our very foundation and the palace is beginning to crumble around us. 

Somehow we have ended up with a large segment of our population who believe they are entitled to money or other benefits which they did not earn or pay for.  The funds to pay for such programs come from one of two sources:  taxes levied by the government on businesses and individuals, or from government borrowing.  When the money is taken, by way of taxation, it is paid by those who earned it; and in turn, distributed to those who did not.  When the money is obtained through borrowing, it is a future burden on following generations who must repay the debt and a current stealth tax because it has a tendency to devalue our currency, causing inflation (amounting to 26% from 2005 to 2012, per Office of Management and Budget for the White House – and estimated to be 41% by 2017). 

Some examples: SNAP (food stamp program) cost $72 billion in 2011, which was up $30 billion from 2007 and the number receiving benefits have continued to rise since 2011, to now reaching almost 50,000,000.  The total budget cost for “Food and nutrition assistance” for 2011 was estimated to be $103 billion.  Unemployment benefits cover 99 weeks, which is almost two years.  Unemployment compensation was estimated to cost $194 billion in 2010.  Housing assistance estimated at $77 billion in 2010.  Federal aid to college students amounted to $180 billion in 2012.  During the past few years, the Federal Government has taken over the student loan program.  Many expect this loan program to be a bubble that will burst in the near future, causing a massive loss/cost to the taxpayers.  The EITC – Earned Income Tax Credit had a cost, in 2008, of $51 billion for 25,000,000 families.  The TANF – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families was $28 billion in 2008.  The budget shows estimated amounts for 2011, of $320 billion for General retirement and disability insurance, Federal employee retirement and disability, and other income security (excluding Social Security). 

This does not list all social programs and has not touched on subsidy programs, other grants, etc.  It does indicate a snapshot of the problem we face.  “Social Justice”, or the redistribution of income, has created an entitlement mentality and is causing class warfare.  Those who have adopted such a mentality have lost the concept of personal responsibility and replaced the idea of the “American Dream” with an expectation of being taken care of by others.  Those with class envy no longer see the rich as an example to follow so as to also become successful. 

This situation has created a political downward spiral between the two main parties as they relate to the financial well-being for America.  Traditionally, though not exclusively, it has been the Democrats (or the Left) who have proposed and encouraged the expansion of the social programs into the modern welfare state.  Politically, this has proven to be a successful strategy for gaining a broader voter base.  One of the Founders of our country stated that a democracy will only survive until the people realize they can vote themselves benefits from the public treasury.  (This is one of the reasons our country was set up to be a Republic and not a Democracy.  Over the years, we have slipped away from Republican [not the party] principles and have transitioned into more of a functioning Democracy.)

As the entitlement segment of the voting public has continued to grow, the Left has seized upon the opportunity to gain a more permanent seat of power.  They even advertise to get more people in the food stamp program.  When people speak out against the situation in which we find ourselves, individuals who have grown dependent upon government to supplement or meet their needs worry that they will lose their benefits is Republicans ever gain control, again.  So they continue to support the Democrats with their votes.  It is estimated that half of the population is not paying Federal Income Tax and many of those are also receiving benefits. 

This presents a stacked deck against the Right ever being in power to reform federal spending.  Meanwhile, we are heading towards national financial ruin due to over spending and excessive borrowing.  The path we are on offers no scenario where it all works out well in the end.  We are in the fourth consecutive year where there is a deficit of over a trillion dollars with no relief on the horizon.  We are borrowing around 45 cents out of every dollar being spent by Washington.  We were recently subjected to a barrage of sound bites as to the “fiscal cliff” we would go over if the mandated trillion dollars of cuts (over the next ten years) were allowed to take place.  It sounded like the world would end by the very next day.  Reality is that the “cuts” are not overall cuts at all, but only a reduction in the projected increase in spending planned for the coming year.  Only in Washington do we find that a smaller increase in spending is a reason for a financial calamity.

Instead of finding a way to better educate the public as to the negative effects of our current path and the benefits of self-responsibility, many of the Republicans are trying to out-promise the Left.  This is a failed strategy if the goal is getting back to financial stability and saving the country.  Abandoning principles is not a path to victory.  The voters on the Left will not trust that you mean what you promise and will still vote for Democrats.  Those on the Right will reject the Left-leaning Republicans and support those who are more conservative.  This will split the Republican Party and the Democrats will continue to win elections and further us on this same path. 

KEEP AND BEAR ARMS

 Can Congress legally pass a law to restrict “rights”?

We need an understanding of “rights” and the role of government.  You DO NOT have a “constitutional right” to have a gun and the 2^nd Amendment did not give you the right to bear arms.

“A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.” 2^nd Amendment.

This does not say the government, constitution or this amendment gives you the right to keep and bear arms.  The 2^nd Amendment, just like others, does not bestow a right upon the people, but prohibits the government from infringing on your rights.  Your “right” to keep and bear arms, to free speech, etc.; “shall not be infringed”! 

The 1^st Amendment begins “Congress shall make no law…”  This amendment does not give the right to free speech, it prohibits the government from interfering in the rights we already had.

Neither the Constitution nor the government gave us these rights.  Our rights preceded both the document and the government.  The Constitution was written to establish a general government for a very few, specific reasons.  The Bill of Rights was added making it clear the government did not have the power to restrict “rights”.

If our rights did not come from the government or the Bill of Rights, where did we get them?  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…”  (Declaration of Independence-DOI)  Our “rights” come from God.  They predate the Constitution and the government. 

God gave us “unalienable” rights.  This means that no one can take them; they are yours unless YOU relinquish them! 

The DOI goes on to say, “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”  The government was formed by the people for the purpose of securing our rights. 

Our government has passed laws doing what they were forbidden to do.  They took the rights that people gave up.  The more rights we give away, the less liberty we enjoy. 

“A Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever." (John Adams)

“They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." (Ben Franklin)

“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen!" (Samuel Adams)

America sends our military to fight in other countries defending their liberty.  Meanwhile, we have been asleep while our government has been stealing our liberty, bit-by-bit.  As John Adams said, once we lose liberty, we will not get it back! 

THE DEBT WALL

For those of you who have been around for awhile, you may remember earlier articles about the "wall of debt".  In an attempt to translate the utter size of our national debt, I tried to relate the amount in means other than dollars.  The dollar amount is staggering and incomprehensible.  The "wall of debt" consists of dollar bills, laid flat and end-to-end, stacked on top of each other and stretching around the world at the equator.

On 01/04/2011, I wrote "How Much Do You Owe?"  Our national debt had just passed $14 trillion ($14,000,000,000,000) for the first time.  This amount relates to a 19' tall "wall of debt".  It was equal to a debt of $45,000 per citizen.  If we were to pay off the debt, one dollar per second (with no more borrowing and not paying any interest), it would have taken 448,000 years.

On 06/19/2011, I wrote "The 20' Wall of Debt".  The national debt was $14.437 trillion and the "wall of debt" had reached a height of 20 feet.  At that time, it would have taken 457,797 years to pay it off one dollar per second.

UPDATE!  We are now crossing another infamous milestone.  This week, our national debt will cross the $16 trillion mark.  Our current budget year is not yet over, but we already passed $1.2 trillion in budget deficit for the year.  This means that we are adding to the total debt at well over a trillion dollars each year.  (Trillion is equal to a million times a million.)  It will now take over 504,000 years to pay off the debt, one dollar per second.  The debt per citizen is over $50,000 and the debt per taxpayer is over $140,000. 

The annual interest on our national debt was $454 billion for fiscal year 2011, which was up $40 billion from the year before.  These amounts take into account the low interest rates we are having to pay.  Based on these numbers, for 2012, the interest could be near one half trillion dollars.  The government is borrowing around 40 cents of every dollar it spends. 

Unemployment has been above 8% for just about all of President Obama's first term.  And that does not include the number of workers who have given up looking or have jobs with minimal pay.  We have over 45,000,000 people on the food stamp program and nearly half of the country does not pay any income tax due to low income. 

Our country must have drastic changes to spending in order to survive.  ALL of the above in not sustainable.  The government is predicting deficits each of the next several years of over a trillion dollars.  Even if interest rates do not go up on our debt and even if we froze spending at current levels (which no one is attempting to do), our national debt will reach $20 trillion in five years.  This also does not take into account the added cost of Obamacare which will be hitting our budget by 2014. 

"Hope and Change" was a cute slogan four years ago.  Hope for change is essential now!

Many politicians support the BBA (Balanced Budget Amendment) as a solution to this problem.  The BBA is not solution at all.  Even if it were constitutional and a good idea, which it is not; it would not take effect until our debt has risen to the area of $20 trillion.  It has no feature for paying down the debt, but instead, has a feature to allow additional borrowing in order to pay the interest payments.  It could be exempted during any year the U.S. is involved in a serious military conflict (which is every year for the past ten).  It could be voided for any year the Congress gets the sufficient number of votes to increase spending.    The BBA is a farce and a smokescreen.  We do not need another amendment, we need people that have the backbone to drastically cut government spending - NOW!

If you do not see that this coming election is the most important in your lifetime, you do not understand the difference between liberty and slavery. 

Fanning the Flickering Flame of Freedom

We will not light the flame of freedom in America, others who have gone before us have seen to that. It does not appear to be likely that we will pass the torch to the following generations with the flame burning brighter and stronger than it was when it was passed to us. No, we had front row seats for a period of history that is responsible for the flame of freedom in America burning down to a flicker.

Most generations for the last 233 years have passed a brighter flame to the next. There are few periods, and most of those were short lived, where the freedom of the people in our nation has been in jeopardy. We have dealt with wars from both without and within. We have suffered great trials through extremely difficult economic challenges. We have had weak leaders at various times. Our freedom and independence came close to never becoming a reality. Yet, through all of the difficult circumstances, the flame of freedom continued to burn bright.

When so many people from other nations were suffering, why did America seem to become the light on a hill? Why was it a goal of so many from around the world to get to our shores? I believe it is due to the hand of God blessing America. I believe that God birthed the burning desire in the hearts of men and women for freedom. I believe that the great experiment of American independence was not an accident when it succeeded. I believe that God blessed and protected America for His purpose and pleasure.

The thanksgiving for the founding of America was given to God. The "unalienable rights" of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" were acknowledged as being given to man from God.

Beginning around fifty years ago, an effort that had been fairly small, took some major leaps. "God" was to be removed from public. Prayer was to be removed from schools. Manger scenes were not allowed on public property. The "Ten Commandments" were not be be hanging on the walls of many government buildings. Though not an official declaration, the USA was a Christian nation. Now it is politically incorrect to make that statement. "Freedom of religion" became freedom from religion.

Many in our government, especially in the Judicial Branch, have taken an active role in the attempt to minimalize and marginalize the effect that Christianity and Christians have in our country. The media has made Christians a source of joke material. Many churches and their leaders have not helped as they have brought ridicule upon themselves by their ungodly actions.

Most recent has got to be the election of President Obama. He has brought into the White House an un-American, unpatriotic, socialist leadership. He is, with the willing help of the Legislative Branch, dismantling our capitalistic system of economy, ignoring the Constitution and the limits placed on government, and basically acting in the role of a dictator. We have a leader who is a bold-faced liar and anti-Semitic. One who sat in church for 20 years, but did not hear the Gospel of the Bible, but heard hate and racism. He and his philosophy pose the greatest danger to freedom for Americans that we have witnessed in my lifetime.

What can we do about it? WE can fight back! WE can speak out! WE can share with others and teach what has not been learned by so many! WE can build a conservative movement, based on founding principles and values, that can win back the minds and hearts of the majority of Americans. I believe that deep in the hearts of man is a desire to be free. The problem is that so many do not realize that freedom is vanishing right before their eyes.

WE must fan the flickering flame of freedom in America. It can burn bright again, with God's help!

Are You Smarter Than a 12th Grader?

When Benjamin Franklin left the Constitutional Convention, he was asked, what kind of government had been established. His answer, "A Republic, if you can keep it." Well, if the following is any indication of our nation as a whole, we are in more trouble than I realized.

The Goldwater Institute issued a Policy Brief this week, titled: "Freedom From Responsibility: A Survey of Civic Knowledge Among Arizona High School Students". They hired a private survey firm to conduct a survey of high school students. The testing and results were grouped according to what type of school the student attends; public, charter, or private. The students were asked ten questions about basic government and civics. The questions came from the group of questions given to candidates for US citizenship. To pass the test, a candidate must get six of the ten questions correct. The Immigration Services recently reported that the first-try pass rate was 92.4%.

When ten questions were given to the students, only 3.5% from the public schools passed with a score of 60%. Charter school students only did twice that good and private school students did about four times as well as public school students, which is still a very low score.

So, how hard were the questions? I could understand if they were similar to, "Name the Supreme Court Justices and what state are they from?" Or, "How many Representatives come from the state of Indiana?" You would have to study like you would when going to a national spelling bee for a test like that. But, remember non-citizens passed with over 92% correct answers.

Here are the ten questions:
1. What is the supreme law of the land?
2. What do we call the first 10 amendments to the Constitution?
3. What are the two parts of the US Congress?
4. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
5. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
6. What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
7. What are the two major political parties in the United States?
8. We elect a US Senator for how many years?
9. Who was the first President of the United States?
10. Who is in charge of the Executive Branch?

Can you answer at least six of those correctly? Only 3.5% of the public high school students could.

"In the end more than they wanted freedom, they wanted security. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society but for society to give to them, when the freedom they wished was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free." Edward Gibbon

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson

"Ultimately, a vibrant democracy must rely on the knowledge, skill, and virtues of its citizens and their elected officials. Education that imparts that knowledge and skill and fosters those virtues is essential to the preservation and improvement of American constitutional democracy and civic life." Charles N. Quigley, for the Progressive Policy Institute

In the survey of the (1,134) public school students, not a single one got more than seven right answers. Less than 30% knew the answer to #1 was the Constitution. 25% knew #2 is the Bill of Rights and even less knew the House and Senate for #3. Under 10% knew there are nine Justices. 1/4 got Thomas Jefferson for #5. Over 41% missed knowing the Atlantic Ocean is on our East Coast. Less than half knew the party names. 15% guess that Senators serve for six years. For #9, the first President, 26.5% knew it was George Washington. Bill Clinton got 3% of the votes. 26% knew the President is in charge of the Executive Branch.

Those results are alarming! Only 40 students got six or seven right answers. 172 students missed all or only got one right. Some could argue that maybe the test was given to students in their early years of high school, when they learn most of this in the later years. Seniors passed at a rate of only 4.1%. If the results were argued based on race, the passing rates were: 3.5% for Anglo, 3.1% for Hispanic, 5.5% for African American, 11.5% for Asian, and 1.3% for Native American students.

For Charter schools, 7.3% passed (all with six or seven right answers). 13.3% missed all or got one right answer. For Private schools, 13.8% passed and 9.7% missed all or got one right.

"Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government." And, "Enlighten the people generally and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day." Thomas Jefferson

It appears that we have failed miserably at passing on American values to the younger generation.

An Ignorant Electorate

"For no people will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when knowledge is diffused and Virtue is preserved. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant, and debauched in their Manners, they will sink under their own weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders." Samuel Adams, in a letter to James Warren, November 4, 1775.

Is that a true statement? If so, what has happened to the American people? If not so, it means that well informed, intelligent people will willingly surrender their freedom. Is that the case? I do not believe so. I do not believe that a free man or woman, well informed and educated, will choose to give up their personal liberty or freedom. This would also mean that the Declaration of Independence is wrong.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Do you see that? "Liberty" is a right granted to man by God. Liberty is not a gift from our Government to us and they have no right to take it away from us.

Let's assume that Samuel Adams was correct in what he wrote. So, what was he telling us?

• First - Free people will not surrender their freedom, without a fight.
• Second - Free people cannot be easily subdued when they are knowledgeable and maintain virtue. Virtue refers to the goodness of the people, the moral excellence of their character.
• Third - When people are ignorant and of low moral character, they will sink under their own weight. Or, to put it another way, they will give up their freedom, voluntarily.

Where is America, right now? We are in the process of losing our liberties; one-by-one, day-by-day! How can this be possible? The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution lay out our rights, liberties and the power of the people. If these documents are the recipe for our freedom, how can our Government be engaged in the systematic dismantling of our individual freedom and liberties?

The answer lies in the writing of Samuel Adams. Evidently, accurate knowledge is not being diffused and virtue is not being preserved. We now have a major portion of the American public who would fall under the category of "universally ignorant, and debauched in their manners". Debauched means: self-indulgent, morally corrupt, and excessive indulgence in sensual pleasure. Does that sound like modern-day USA?

Our country has been dumbed-down, on purpose. Why would I say, "on purpose"? Because those who wish to take our liberty from us have also read Samuel Adams. They also believe he was correct. If we are educated and maintain moral uprightness, they cannot succeed in their plan to steal our freedom and change our country. They had to be patient. They had to have a plan. They had to seize control of the appropriate areas, such as the education system and the courts, in order to implement their agenda. As we look back, they were successful at each of these goals. They began, decades ago, to dumb-down the then present generation. They then proceeded to do the same to the next generation. They encouraged illegal immigration and built the welfare system. They have succeeded in building a population of voters who are not knowledgeable and who are not maintaining high levels of morality. They have removed God from many areas of public awareness. They have watered-down what is being taught in public schools concerning American history and civics. They have taken away the sense of personal responsibility in many, which resulted in more dependence upon welfare and higher crime rates. The family unit has been demoted and Government, through welfare, has stepped in to replace missing Dads, etc. Children are not being taught by parents nor are they attending a good church.

America is in the process of sinking under it's own weight. I believe it was God's hand guiding the forming of this country and holding it up during trying times. As we, as a country, have rejected God and each have gone their own way, it appears that God is removing His hand of support and protection from us.

I also believe that it is not too late. I believe that if America will repent, God will hear and be merciful. I believe there is still time to gain knowledge and restore virtue. This comes down to individuals doing their parts. Do what you need to do to learn, grow, and draw close to God. Then, spread that to others. Be an example and teach and lead. We have a lot of work to do and we can do it, one convert at a time.

The radical Left did not get in this position over night and we will not get them out over night. We have to be patient. We have to have a plan. We have to gain in the necessary areas - the hearts and minds of the individuals. Will it be said, 20 or 40 years from now, that we succeeded in our agenda? Will Americans be free or be slaves to the Government?

Remember, they were at war with us, but we were not at war with them. It is time to prepare for war! First comes basic training and boot camp.