Voting – The American Voice

“Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual — or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.”

Samuel Adams, in the Boston Gazette, April 16, 1781

Privilege is often the blinding barrier to realizing life’s greatest treasures. The world is jealous of the American’s right to say who speaks for us and we don’t even notice. We can easily squander that right, to not use it or worse, elect those who work to strip us of that freedom. Voting is not just a right but something that deserves our greatest attentions to detail. Ronald Reagan wisely said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction”, and voting is one of the roads that leads’ us to either the American dream, or a deceased America. The choice is always ours … until we give it away or ignore it.

All voters are important but the informed voter is the republics’ asset. Samuel Adams and the other founding fathers knew this and warned often not to disregard this right. We need to heed the advice and always elect others who respect all the foundations this country was found on. It is the greatest reason why I respect and promote Dr. Ben Carson for president.

“I would love it if party labels were not allowed on ballots and people were forced to actually know who they were voting for. Blind loyalty to a party platform is tantamount to relinquishing the important duties of intelligent voting.” Ben Carson with Candy Carson, One Nation

Each one of us needs to decide that we are responsible for our country’s condition and use the vote we have to voice who we believe speaks for us. The temptation is to think, “It’s only one vote so what good does it do?” Mine alone does little but without it there is not "ours" that, collectively, is a booming sound that cannot be disregarded. And when we agree on someone who leaves no doubt that America is great because of our Constitution, Declaration of Independence and other founding documents, it becomes a wave that washes over and heals our land.

Let us voice real change; change that returns us to the America that made us great, and tell people like Ben Carson he has our vote and then use it.

Check if you can vote and sign up to if not  http://bit.ly/votetrigger

Ben Carson petition to draft him for president http://bit.ly/carsondraft

USA First PAC http://www.usafirstpac.org/

Rick Coller’s Ben Carson for President https://www.facebook.com/CollerforBenCarson2016

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." 

John Quincy Adams

Born-again American

“… guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism; …”

 George Washington - Farewell Address September 19, 1796

The question becomes, what did George Washington mean by “pretended patriotism”? It takes no leap to understand that he meant American patriotism that is focused on the principles and values of the Constitution of the United States that culminated after years of fighting for freedom and liberty penned in the Declaration of Independence (read the rest of his farewell address). John Quincy Adams frames best what his friend Washington may have been alluding to.

"The highest glory of the American Revolution was this; it connected, in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity." 

John Quincy Adams 

I know, those on the far left read this and immediately shutdown because it triggers the separation of state and religion button programmed by their sacred principles of socialism. But it is undeniable that our nation was formed with ethical principles based in Christian morality. That does not automatically presume all involved in the building of our nation were Christians but rather they all agreed that the principles were the glue that make it work.

No, you don’t need to be a Christian to live in this great nation. No more than you need to be a Christian to attend church. You don’t even need to be a Christian to call yourself a Christian. What makes you a Christian is more than any of these things. It is as a follower of Christ, with the intent and the goal to represent Him as best as you can. Many have determined to make that distinction obvious by calling themselves born-again Christians.

Guess what. You don’t need to be an American to live in America. You don’t have to vote to be an American or even be an American to call yourself one. No, to be an American you follow the principles, as best as you can, that embodies the intentions laid out in the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution and Bill of rights.

So, to help others understand what I mean when I say I’m an American, I’m going to qualify it by saying I’m a born-again American. I was born here, brought up in America and taught very basic principles about being an American. But I didn’t really become one until I decided to study and understand what it means to live in America and keep it as our founding fathers intended.¹ A time came when I decided to become an American and not just wear the title.

In America we have politicians who make a career out of handling the mechanics of government. It is a necessary function of our national system and it can be a noble endeavor. It has developed into a something the founders had not expected and warned about. George Washington discussed this also in the farewell address mentioned above. Their idea was a person would serve their country for a short time and then go home to their business. George Washington despised the idea of parties, one vying against the other. I think they would be upset to see what has happened. The framers saw government as a means to serve the common good not to serve individuals good. Abraham Lincoln later addressed the issue.

“We the People are the rightful masters of both Congress and the Courts–not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.”

Abraham Lincoln

A politician is no more than an American serving his country, whether his original profession is a farmer, lawyer, businessman or doctor. The career politician is a dirty word only when the people neglect to make sure he serves them like Abraham Lincoln suggests. We might call them a politician but the effective ones are the born-again Americans. One doctor recently sums up well what the people expect as someone who serves them.

“I will tell you that I’m not a politician, and I don’t believe in political correctness.  So I may say something that will offend someone. And I frankly never plan on becoming a politician. It doesn't mean that I won’t do something in public office, but I won’t be a politician in the process.”

Dr. Ben Carson at the Americans for Prosperity’s Defending the American Dream Summit 8/29/2014

Dr. Ben Carson is one of the best examples, in our time, of someone who embodies what an American wishing to serve our republic talks about with a sense of patriotism equal to our founding fathers. Ben Carson is someone with knowledge and integrity equal to Washington and other founding fathers who, with reluctance but same sense of calling, will step up to make sure America is and continues to be the nation the rest of the world looks to.

Every American, but especially all born-again Americans needs to step up now and let Dr. Ben Carson know that we feel his calling and back him up 100%. You can go here to sign the petition in support. http://bit.ly/carsondraft

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."

Thomas Jefferson

¹   A small sample of readings I suggest.  The Road to Serfdom - F.A Hayek, A Patriot’s History of the United States-  Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen, The Jefferson Lies - David Barton, What Works – Cal Thomas, The American Boomerang – Nick Adams, America the Beautiful – Ben Carson with Candy Carson, One Nation – Ben Carson with Candy Carson, The Five Thousand Year Leap – W. Cleon Skousen, The Federalist Papers

Factions, Political Parties and Americans

"However combinations or associations of the above description [factions or today what we call a political party] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people, and to usurp for themselves the reins of government; destroying afterwards the very engines, which have lifted them to unjust dominion."

George Washington, Farewell Address 1796

Read that quote by George Washington closely. Now answer me if his concerns are valid compared to today’s political environment?

With a Facebook post I shared on one of Dr. Ben Carson’s group pages dealing with Dr. Carson answering if he was a Republican, I received a very cleaver question regarding the subject. “So would you run on a Democan or Republicrat ticket, or maybe a Redemopendant one?” It led me to graciously answer the thought provoking query, which I expand upon here.

An interesting and clever question Joe. Thanks. Are Americans Engish, Indeses or Chinaxicans? Of course the answer is all of these but none these. It makes the point that we are all an odd mixture and can extend it to our philosophies rooted in our experiences.

What I love about Ben Carson is that he was once a liberal Democrat, changed to a Republican but now realizes neither party fully represents his ideas because each party has such a wide range within the platforms. That is just inherent in our party systems. Today, the two main parties have slid further away from their proverbial centers so it polarizes our politics, revealing the extremes from our foundation. The liberal progressives are the more extreme and off base, far that is from outside of the American form of republic this nation was founded on. But the far right can be as misleading if allowed driving to the excessive.   Ben Carson will say that conservative Republican come closes to his belief but he is willing to keep common sense in the formula so labels himself politically as Independent.

Our founding fathers warned against “factions”, what we call political parties, because they could be so dividing for our republic (if you want to know more about factions, click here). But they also came to comprehend that it was almost unavoidable so continually pointed back to our founding documents to anchor the process. 

This is what Dr. Carson has come to understand and strives to embrace using the common sense approach that our republic works best under; the American republic foundation with Biblical values. The founding fathers used republican thoughts (little r here, not the party) embracing the idea of the common good, which expressed itself within different “factions” (parties today). They wanted what was best for all using Christian values as the gauge. Not so in much in today's environment and actually opposing those values. That is not to mean every American has to be a Christian, but rather the republic uses that value system. That is why modern America is heading in the wrong direction and needs correction.

Dr. Ben Carson could be an ideologue who represents what America is all about and get us back on track if we were to convince to him run for President.

“On a candid examination of history, we shall find that turbulence, violence, and abuse of power, by the majority, trampling on the rights of the minority, have produced factions and commotions which, in republics, have, more frequently than any other.”

James Madison 1788

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

John Adams

“The Declaration of Independence laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity.” 

John Adams

US Amendments and the Founders Intent

“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, US Constitution

All the US Amendments are crucial to our Republic and the 2^nd one gives us a focus to understand our founder’s intentions. Let’s take a look at it.

Short, concise and to the point. When written there seemed to be little discussion, probably because the founders lived the reality of the peoples’ fate, if the simple truth of the statement was ignored. Today we feel generally safe from our neighboring countries and we have armed civil servants who can come to our aide when called. We have been lulled into a false sense of security, unlike that of the first generations in this nation. It is easy for us to believe that our founders needed something that we no longer need the same way today.

It would be a huge mistake to suppose such and make that assumption. The founding fathers had plenty to say about the reasons for this amendment, which we can gleam to make a common sense analysis.

"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."

George Mason - Co-author of the Second Amendment 1788

"Firearms stand next in importance to the constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence … from the hour the Pilgrims landed to the present day, events, occurrences and tendencies prove that to ensure peace security and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable … the very atmosphere of firearms anywhere restrains evil interference — they deserve a place of honor with all that's good."

George Washington

"Those who hammer their guns into plowshares will plow for those who do not."

Thomas Jefferson

It was obvious to these men that the right to bear arms was to protect ourselves from anyone, within or without, who would overreach to take or limit our liberties as defined in the Declaration of Independence and Bill of rights, whether invaded from outside our borders or somehow by the newly tri-partite government with a bi-cameral legislature if it failed us.

As I alluded to above, sometimes we forget our founding fathers took time to consider all these facts and wrote our founding documents, rules and government framework with a vision that includes thoughts for future generations. We can miss it when current events “seem” too elaborate and conclude our current governance is deficient for solutions. But that thinking only leads to arrogant, convoluted, ill-placed conclusions in opposition to the intent of our nation’s founding. Common sense will direct us, teach us and support our founders’ intentions if we apply it.

Dr. Ben Carson is a good example that supports this conclusion. He is recognized as a man with unpretentious common sense. Bought up in the ghettos’ of Detroit definitely gave him a sense to the dangers of violent groups who demonstrated weapons as power to control communities and disregard the liberties of others in contrast to their rights of liberty. I assume he had no other context growing up for the purpose of guns other than the negative example he witnessed. He knew if the wrong people had guns it could be a disaster for the community. Until his famous speak given at a prayer breakfast in front of president Obama in 2013, he had no reason to seriously consider the 2^nd amendment until asked about it by Glen Beck in February 2013. Many radical right wing conservatives hailed his answer inadequate for a presidential run based only on this before Ben considered other opinions about the issue. I understand the concern but have seen Dr. Carson seriously consider other opinions and weighed them against the intentions our founders had for the second amendment. He has recently published some of these thoughts as an opinion piece in the Washington Times, April 22^nd 2014. I’ll let you read it, but Dr. Carson has shown he is capable of understanding others viewpoints and consider them against our founding fathers objectives. This common sense approached is outlined in his book, One Nation, which you need to read. He has decided that the 2^nd amendment, drafted by our founders, is critical to keeping our republic stable and safe.

“The Second Amendment was crafted by wise citizens who recognized how quickly an enemy invasion could occur or how our own government could be deceived into thinking it had the right to dominate the people.”

Dr. Ben Carson, 4/22/2014

For those, who at one time, considered Dr. Ben Carson might fail us on the second amendment, rest assured that he will up hold our constitution wholly and completely (in contrast to our current president) if we convince him to run for president in 2016.

"The great object is that every man be armed." and "Everyone who is able may have a gun."

Patrick Henry

Restoring Our Foundation – A Healer is Needed

“The only foundation of a free Constitution, is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People (emphasis added), in a great Measure, than they have it now. They may change their Rulers, and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting Liberty.”

John Adams: letter to Zabdiel Adams, June 21, 1776

“Do we agree with the vision of the founding fathers? Or have we become much wiser than they were and feel the need to adopt a different vision?” 

Dr. Ben Carson Facebook March 6, 2013

Dr. Ben Carson asks the question of the century. One that hasn’t been asked nearly as often or vocal as needed. But that is about to change. “We the People”, collectively, are waking up with the help of the Tea Party and people like Ben Carson. And it is scaring the pants off the progressive liberals. You want proof? Check out an opinion piece by progressive Nick Rudnik in Valdosta Today titled “VALDOSTASTATE UNIVERSITY SHOULD CANCEL THEIR ‘EVENING WITH DR. BEN CARSON” published June 11, 2014. Go ahead and read it to notice the fear through veiled partisan prejudice. But please scroll down to the bottom and read the over hundred comments on his piece. Most of them are a searing rejection of his stand and support Ben Carson.

You may not agree with every point Ben Carson makes but the thing that scares the progressives most is that Ben’s position is not one of just Democrat or Republican but rather either can have a good idea and both can work together to advancement of American values. And those values will be determined by our founding documents and all parties working to find those meanings. I love what Ben once said, “Why is it that the eagle is able to fly high, forward, because it has two wings; a left wing and a right wing.” This is the kind of people we need running our country. That is why others like Nick Rudnik don’t like someone like Ben, because it means socialistic ideas are in trouble. But if we want our nation to be as our founding father envisioned it then we must come back to the foundations.

I believe Ben Carson should run for president because he is a healer, a realist who knows American politics without being a politician (as our recent history has defined it) and shares the vision of our founding fathers. If you investigate and agree please go to RunBenRun.org and sign the petition to convince Ben “We the People” want him.

“The U.S. Constitution doesn’t guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself.”  — Benjamin Franklin

“It’s not tyranny we desire; it’s a just, limited, federal government.”  — Alexander Hamilton

Who Spoke in Eric Cantor’s Primary Loss?

"There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble opinion, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution." -- John Adams

My simple answer to the header question is “We the People”.  But obviously there is much more to it. Our two party system can be a detriment to our politics, as John Adams suggests in the opening quote, but it doesn’t have to be if Americans pay attention. In a surprise upset Eric Cantor lost his primary bid, after seven terms in congress and the current House Majority Leader, to a virtual unknown, David Brat. There are those who will claim that Cantor's loss was about immigration but though there is an element of truth to that claim, it only points as an indicator to a more fundamental truth. Our republic works best when the people understand their duty to vote for those who work for our interests and then make sure to hold them accountable to that trust.

David Brat makes an interesting statement on Hannity. “Although I had tremendous Tea Party support and just wonderful people in the Tea Party grass roots helping me out, and they're clearly responsible for the win, but I ran on the Republican principles.” People are beginning to understand we need to vote politicians in office that hold our principles. It may be Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or other, then defined by how we stand in it; such as conservative, liberal, progressive or constitutionalist. Many of us will find ourselves an odd concoction of a few or all of these labels. The point being, we need to know who we are before we can elect those who can do what we need and want. A majority in Virginia managed to do that and changed how they are represented in Congress and maybe what Congress may decide to do in the near future.

Can it be done on a larger scale? Ben Carson is man who is not a politician or tightly affiliated with any one party. But he is a man of great principals and integrity. He is a man who believes in One Nation and would lead America back to its roots and founding to again be a great nation and envy to the rest of the world. But we need to decide if “We the People” is who we are and hopefully convince Ben Carson that we believe he represents us no matter what political party we associate with.

“However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.” - George Washington, Farewell Address, Sep. 17, 1796

One Nation – A Vision Defined by Dr. Ben Carson

“We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” - Abraham Lincoln

Dr. Ben Carson has effectively outlined the path Americans need to take to preserve the United State of America as the nation in which every individual is free to peruse liberty and happiness to the enrichment of self and our fellow man. It is the goal of our founding fathers. Every American should read his work, One Nation, and know how we can all work together to bring this country back to the mission our founders envisioned.

If anyone other than my Lord Jesus has entered my mind, read my thoughts and then said what I believe our great nation needs to get back on track, it is Ben Carson. And I know I’m not alone. There is millions of other who have the same vision and now it has been thoroughly defined. I would hope that all my other posts in this blog would only emulate the same passion and position as Ben has effectively outlined. I’m not shy to proclaim that if Dr. Ben Carson feels led to run for President of this nation, I and millions of others would vote for and support such a bold and arduous commitment.

I will not belabor the point with lengthy verbal quotes from Ben Carson but will encourage and if I had the power (but no one does, thankfully), command you to read the heart and vision of Ben Carson through his written work, One Nation and other works penned by him. You will find his vision, the vision most Americans want to or do hold as our founding fathers did. Not necessarily that this is a nation for Christian only, but rather a nation based on Christian values so anyone and everyone is free to pursue life as they find it good and beneficial for all people. A republic such as this great experiment known as the USA can only survive when we all work together, not always agreeing but deciding the best path directed by our constitution, bill of rights and declaration of independence.

“Can the liberties of a nation be sure when we remove their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people, that these liberties are a gift from God?”

Thomas Jefferson

“This is a Christian nation” - United States Supreme Court Decision in Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States, 1892

“The Scriptures tell us righteousness exalteth a Nation.” - Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams

“This nation under God” - Abraham Lincoln, Gettysberg Address and inscribed on Lincoln Memorial

“[The Bible] is the rock on which our Republic rests.” - Andrew Jackson

“The only foundation for . . . a republic is to be laid in Religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments.” 

Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declaration of Independence 

America – Who Are We and Why

Andrew Cuomo, the New York Governor, is a prime example of any bias political intolerant opinion but surely demonstrated the liberal lefts’ modern embrace of their common narcissistic prejudice and inability to debate the issues; e.g. “I’m right so you have to be wrong”.

If you haven’t heard yet, Mr. Cuomo believes conservatives who oppose abortion and gay rights and favor traditional gun ownership “have no place in the state of New York.’’ With this said I’m almost reluctant to admit that I am from, was born in, New York State. But I’m not reluctant because I know many people and have family from that great state and they will disagree with any such ignorant intolerance publicly demonstrated. At least in my new home state of Arkansas, both sides of the political arena (at least from the area I reside) normally will debate the issues until, at the very least, we can “agree to disagree”. I have yet heard a public official declare someone was not welcomed because of a difference of opinion.

The issue with such demonstrated liberal intolerance is they cannot comprehend there is a worldview held by most conservatives that drives their moral compass and hold it as the truth.  The rub is liberals do not believe this conservative worldview is right and draw their conclusions from other values. The debate should revolve around this point but rarely is and most times because those values are not understood or recognized to begin the debate. Both opposing sides argue their values are the truth … but neither can prove beyond any facts learned through experiments and observation their “truth” is absolute. This is the reason the liberal left drives to silence a different viewpoint, because it’s easier, faster, less messy and ignores the problem that conservatives could convince others there might be valid reasons for their opinion, changing the direction of public opinion. God forbid people find an alternative reason to keep America within its proven success based on its founding principles. No, liberals want to “fundamentally transform the United States of America” as promised by our current president.

The debate revolves around the founding of America and whether those values are still valid for today or will we become another declining nation like all the others that tried socialist type values and fail. This is where the people of this nation should be focusing any debate and all the rest will become moot.

"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."
   - George Washington

"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