An American Revival

"But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty once lost is lost forever."

John Adams, Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, 7 July 1775

Revival is needed if the United States of America is to keep what the founding fathers gave us. All people, all parties; Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Green, ET, need an American revival. It is needed to reveal the heart and intentions of our founding fathers’ vision, originated in our federal republic. We want freedom and liberty without understanding where the virtues needed to support them come from.  

Revival starts with understanding the current direction leads towards less liberty and independence with more government dependency, which makes us reflect upon the contrary reformist ideas that eat away our foundations. Revival can be seen in organization like The HeritageFoundation and the Tea Party movement but each person needs to determine the path that teaches them what is needed and how to get there. Another might be the philosophy of Ayn Rand and the role of capitalism, which she eloquently portrayed in her novel Atlas Shrugged.

Benjamin Franklin’s answer to Mrs. Powel’s question, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” is just relevant today. His reply, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

The challenge before us is realizing we have wandered off the path that fuels our desire for honor and virtues, which touch the inner sense of self-worth, personal strength and empathy that drives us to be the best we can for our family, friends, neighbors and countrymen. Study our history and these things can be found in the strength of our roots and though not all pervasive, the larger share which lifted and propelled us to be the greatest nation in a millennium.

This is the time for an American revival.

"America ever is what she thinks herself to be. Governed by sentiment, and acting her own mind, she becomes, as she pleases, the victor or the victim."

Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776 

Choice: A Republic or Democratic Socialism

“The Utopian schemes of leveling (re-distribution of the wealth) and a community of goods (government controlled/central ownership of the means of production and distribution), are as visionary and impractical as those which vest all property in the Crown.  [These ideas] are arbitrary (choices and actions which are done not by means of any underlying principle or logic), despotic (ruling with absolute political power), and, in our government, unconstitutional.” (Italics added for emphasis)

Samuel Adams

Our founding fathers understood that any form of socialism was antagonistic to the republic they wanted to establish.  Over the last eighty plus years we have been playing with the philosophies of it through Democratic and/or Fabian Socialism and now President Obama is not hiding but embracing the policies of it. I truly respect Charles Krauthammer. He understands and gives credit to brilliant political maneuvering, even when it’s anti-capitalistic and anti-American. Evil men have been in places of power, though many would not discern the modifier “evil” because of their blind spot amplified with their anti-Christian philosophical ignorance. I only hope Americans learn to understand Obama has an agenda that reflects nothing that supports the values this country was found upon.

God has slowly been removed from most public institutions leaving a vacuum. When principals of our republic, founded on ideas based on Christian-Judea values are not applied the alternative is the socialism of re-distribution of the wealth. Freedom and liberty are not easy and sometime very difficult to achieve but far superior to the option of allowing any government to replace the work needed to maintain them. We need to continue the hard work of teaching all Americans what it takes to make the government work for us and not us bowing to the government.

"A primary object should be the education of our youth in the science of government. In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important? And what duty more pressing than communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country?"
                                                                                                                        George Washington

The Founders Used the Bible as Mortar – Marriage Has Been Defined

Note: The analogies used in this article are intended only to clarify or support an idea of marriage and is not intended to be applied otherwise, anywhere or upon anyone in a demeaning manner. It would not be accepted by this author.

"In forming and settling my belief relative to the doctrines of Christianity, I adopted no articles from creeds but such only as, on careful examination, I found to be confirmed by the Bible."

John Jay   1st Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

"Now I will avow, that I then believe, and now believe, that those general Principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable, as the Existence and Attributes of God; and that those Principles of Liberty, are as unalterable as human Nature and our terrestrial, mundane System."

John Adams   2nd U.S. President

You don’t say golfing is tennis.

You don’t call a rabbit a duck.

It just makes common sense in our culture and way of life to keep certain main beliefs and actions defined so we can accurately respond to the needs involved across those varying principles. See, it wouldn’t be good to house a rabbit on a pond or compete at golf with a racket instead of a club. They are different. Not one better than the other or extraordinary from the additional, but rather just handled differently based on facts. It would be unfair to everyone involved if the duck was cultured as the rabbit or if tennis was scored the same as golf.

That is not to say when things are very similar or they respond in like ways or are biblical, we treat them with comparable reactions.

"In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free - honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve. … The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just - a way which, if followed, the world will forever applaud, and God must forever bless." (emphasis added)

Lincoln's Second Annual Message to Congress, December 1, 1862.

 An individual is a person whether he is black, white, red, brown, has two arms or one and we know this because in America we base our individual values found by inalienable rights defined on the cultural initial principals the founding father used for our governmental structure. Yes, Judeo-Christian values found in God’s word, which the founders believed was the only way our government can work.

Under these facts, marriage is a union between a man and a woman for the purposes defined within the context of values this republic was founded on (outlined above).  Does that mean American’s ignore the beliefs of others who want to play a different game then how our government has been established to work on? No. But you don’t call golf tennis when it is not. Marriage is between a man and a woman but if others believe differently than give them similar advantages but don’t call it marriage. It is a different union. Maybe it should have the same advantages as a marriage but that doesn’t mean it is one. People can play golf or tennis, but it is just too confusing to call them both the same thing and keep score or even finish with winning results. Ducks can live in wooded areas with the rabbits but they do better if we give them a pond to play and feed from. I will gladly give my gay friends support for the same type advantages I get in my marriage with my wife, but just don’t call it something it’s not. You need to come up with a name for your new game and then we can talk about the rules.

"While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian."

George Washington    1st U.S. President

A Different Kind of Tea Party

 “But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their (citizens of USA) right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”  - The Declaration of Independence (italics added)

The 56 signers of the Declaration of Independent determined that in order for a free people to obtain and keep freedom and liberty, drastic measures were needed. Then, it was Boston Tea Party and a military revolution.  Now, after decades with similar feelings of “long train of abuses and usurpations” we feel the beating back of modern citizens’ liberties and a small government that focuses on the original tenants our founders established. We find ourselves at a similar crossroads of an intrusive and overbearing “king”.

The Declarations goes on to say, “The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.” Read and see if some of these “facts” seem to be repeated today?”

                 

"He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good."

"He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance."

"He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation."

"For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent."

"For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments."

I believe we are at the same defining moment but with a greater advantage. There are those that might shout, “BEAR OUR ARMS” but we have a greater weapon, supplied by our founding fathers and those who fought to obtain and keep them. All we need is for “the people” to educate themselves and others on the mechanism of our American Republic and then vote for those who understand them and support the intent of liberties it is all found on. I’m encouraged that some movement has be made in this direction the last few years but there is much, much more work to be done.

It is the duty of every American citizen to learn and understand what our founding fathers envisioned, entertain cultural and philosophical ideas (which are more than less) that fit the republic framework as founded by the framers and vote to encourage those that support these percepts.  Complaining is useless without vision that repairs it

You may have read some of my blog and notice I refer to the American Republic often as opposed to a democracy. Americans need to understand this difference. I leave you with several quotes the founding father said about a democracy and hope you are intrigued enough to find out why.

Benjamin Rush, signer of the Declaration of Independence - “a simple democracy ... is one of the greatest of evils."

James Madison, U.S. President "Democracies, in general, have been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths."

John Adams, signer and U.S. President- "Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide."

John Quincy Adams, U.S. President "The experience of all former ages had shown that of all human governments, democracy was the most unstable, fluctuating and short-lived."

Implied American Political Roots Amplified

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 pursuit of Happiness: that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed (italics added).

Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

"The experiment is made, and has completely succeeded: it can no longer be called in question, whether authority in magistrates, and obedience of citizens, can be grounded on reason, morality, and the Christian religion, without the monkery of priests, or the knavery of politicians." (Italics added)

John Adams 1788, "A Defense of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America"

It’s a new year and by the end of it I hope a new direction for our government.

There are those of the Liberal left who have, over the years, been promoting a perverted or ignorant form of patriotism that ignores the roots of a true American patriot. They use familiar arguments such as the following about our Pledge of Allegiance.

“The Pledge in use today, written by Francis Bellamy in 1892,  was modified by the U.S. congress in 1954 by adding the words “under God” and in effect turning it into an unconstitutional public prayer.  There are millions of Americans who believe in God but do not believe they are "under" God.”

I’m not in total disagreement with the premise but I don’t think public prayer is unconstitutional (another blog for another time) and the reason for the modification was for the purpose of amplifying the intent of the founding fathers. Americans don’t have to believe they are “under” God or even need to believe in God but rather, all need to understand our nations’ working principals and philosophies are based and work only in the context of religious Judea-Christian teachings that our founding fathers used to establish our government. Until the early twentieth century it didn’t need to be highlighted because it was implied by all our major founding documents and understood by every American because it was taught as such. Today those principals are ignored or purposely obscured using perverted liberal philosophy that the liberals of the Abraham Lincoln era would not recognize or agree with.

As for “In God We Trust” on our money, yes, it was not on our paper currency until 1956 but has been on our coins since 1863 largely because of the increased religious sentiment existing during the Civil War. Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase instructed James Pollock, Director of the Mint at Philadelphia, to prepare a motto, in a letter dated November 20, 1861. This was largely in part because of liberal thought of the time, something liberals of today would not understand. It was liberal thought of the pre-civil war that blacks were equal under the constitution who wanted “In God We Trust” on our money. This is something “conservatives” of today understand but progressive liberal want to discourage for their own perverted American idea. Again, we need to amplify the intent of our founding because it is not taught as the truth it still is today.

“If men of wisdom and knowledge, of moderation and temperance, of patience, fortitude and perseverance, of sobriety and true republican simplicity of manners, of zeal for the honour of the Supreme Being and the welfare of the commonwealth; if men possessed of these other excellent qualities are chosen to fill the seats of government, we may expect that our affairs will rest on a solid and permanent foundation (italics added).”

Samuel Adams, letter to Elbridge Gerry, November 27, 1780

Immigration in America 2011

"The importation of foreigners into a country that has as many inhabitants as the present employments and provisions for subsistence will bear, will be in the end no increase of people, unless the new comers have more industry and frugality than the natives, and then they will provide more subsistence, and increase in the country; but they will gradually eat the natives out. Nor is it necessary to bring in foreigners to fill up any occasional vacancy in a country for such vacancy will soon be filled by natural generation."

Benjamin Franklin - 1751

"The ongoing migration of persons to the United States in violation of our laws is a serious national problem detrimental to the interests of the United States."

Ronald Regan - Presidential Proclamation 4865, September 29, 1981

Newt Gingrich has proven for months now that he is a serious GOP candidate to consider. But now with his position stated on the immigration issue it seems Mr. Gingrich can handle his positions on policies with true conviction of thoughtful and "American" consideration. I will not put words or un-intended thoughts to Newt but my guess is that he has a position on illegal immigration that considers the huge lack of government application of current laws and available department resources that has generated a delinquent immigrant mentality over the last few decades that needs thoughtful but prudent correction.

It is not the fault of those illegal aliens here for ten or twenty years that our government has not been conscientious in its duty to correct their misbehavior in a timely manner and allow them a false sense of entitlement undeserved. They are simply being the “spoiled rich teenager with no boundaries” that the “irresponsible, selfish, uncaring parents” have allowed them to become. But it is time those “parents” be replaced and rules, regulations and character be instilled as they should be. It will not be easy but should be fair to those “teenagers” who have proven American character and help pay for their share by going through the right “adoption” procedures to be productive citizens. Otherwise they should go back to their real “parents” and live by their rules. This whole immigration mess is as much the fault of an uncaring, dysfunctional government that needs to become the “Uncle Sam” it should be and lovingly discipline and correct the immigration situation.

"America must not be overwhelmed. Every effort to enact immigration legislation must expect to meet a number of hostile forces and, in particular, two hostile forces of considerable strength. One of these is composed of corporation employers who desire to employ physical strength (broad backs) at the lowest possible wage and who prefer a rapidly revolving labor supply at low wages to a regular supply of American wage earners at fair wages. The other is composed of racial groups in the United States who oppose all restrictive legislation because they want the doors left open for an influx of their countrymen regardless of the menace to the people of their adopted country."

Samuel Gompers - Letter to Congress, March 19, 1924

American Values; What Are They and Why?

"The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind. Where, some say, is the king of America? I'll tell you, friend, He reigns above."

Thomas Paine

"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

John Adams

Our country is more divided by politics than ever before. That is not to say there has never been difference in opinion on how our values should be communicated. Even the early founding fathers and the people struggled with how to convey our principals. But those beliefs were held by all who decided on our constitution. John Adams quoted above and the more liberal Alexander Hamilton knew the republic we enjoy is based on rights granted by our Creator.

“You would be convinced, that natural liberty is a gift of the beneficent Creator to the whole human race, and that civil liberty is founded in that; and cannot be wrested from any people, without the most manifest violation of justice.”

Alexander Hamilton, The Farmer Refuted, February 23, 1775

The key to understanding the American political advantage is to know what John Adams and the rest of the founders appreciated; that we need a republic and not a democracy.

"Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself."

John Adams

We have lost most from the 1920’s until now by ignoring or misunderstanding that our nation is a republic and not a democracy. I quote someone who determines the difference and says it better than I could.

“These two forms of government: Democracy and Republic, are not only dissimilar but antithetical, reflecting the sharp contrast between (a) The Majority Unlimited, in a Democracy, lacking any legal safeguard of the rights of The Individual and The Minority, and (b) The Majority Limited, in a Republic under a written Constitution safeguarding the rights of The Individual and The Minority; as we shall now see. In both the Direct type and the Representative type of Democracy, The Majority’s power is absolute and unlimited; its decisions are unappealable under the legal system established to give effect to this form of government. This opens the door to unlimited Tyranny-by-Majority. This was what The Framers of the United States Constitution meant in 1787, in debates in the Federal (framing) Convention, when they condemned the "excesses of democracy" and abuses under any Democracy of the unalienable rights of The Individual by The Majority. A Republic, on the other hand, has a very different purpose and an entirely different form, or system, of government. Its purpose is to control The Majority strictly, as well as all others among the people, primarily to protect The Individual’s God-given, unalienable rights and therefore for the protection of the rights of The Minority, of all minorities, and the liberties of people in general. The definition of a Republic is: a constitutionally limited government of the representative type, created by a written Constitution--adopted by the people and changeable (from its original meaning) by them only by its amendment--with its powers divided between three separate Branches: Executive, Legislative and Judicial. Here the term "the people" means, of course, the electorate.

 Hamilton Abert Long - http://lexrex.com/enlightened/AmericanIdeal

So how do we help close the gap between right and left today? Some conclude the fix of opposing political partisan positions is by making sure you sit in the middle or as a moderate. This will only work for those who have not truly defined all they believe and why they believe it. I'm not talking about those who "like" what they think the America way should be but one who is a student of American politics and can defend that position based on our founding as a nation. I will not go into details here but our founding fathers struggled with many of the same types of issues and they found this nation on a philosophy that created a republic that can grow and continually form to that vision when the people understand and work within it. The answer is not necessarily keeping the majority corralled in the middle but that the middle is found on conclusions reached by civil debates about what our republic is and/or should be. It’s time “We the People” learn what our republic means, live by the principals it was found upon and be that people it was formed for.

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

Abraham Lincoln

"Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure (and) which insures to the good eternal happiness, are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments."

Charles Carroll, signer of the Declaration of Independence