By R.J. Godlewski
© April 30, 2009, All Rights Reserved
(Right Truth Exclusive)
What does America mean to you? Is it simply a country where you live or work or does it represent something far greater than any of us mere mortals could possibly understand? Are you familiar with the history of this great nation or have you simply acquiesced to what you have been told, or heard, or assumed without challenge? Does being called an American simply come with the territory or does it represent a badge of honor, earned after years of toil and commitment and personal responsibility unheard of within the context of international sovereignties?
Two hundred and thirty-three years ago, a group of colonists decided that being “American” meant more to them than anything on the planet. They had grown tired of taxation without representation. They were infuriated whenever their government decided where and how they could live – a government as remote to their care and concerns as possibly any within the context of history. Even the mighty and notorious Spanish Empire left exploration of the New World to commercial enterprise. Not Great Britain.
King George III could not leave well enough alone. Unlike Philip of Spain, who was content to control mercury production as his means to partake of the vast riches offered by his colonies, King George sought to micromanage his territories. He felt that the simple farmers and outdoorsmen who made up the new lands were insufficiently knowledgeable and experienced to trust on their own so British government was everywhere.
Most of what the colonists produced went to pad the coffers of the British government. The reach of their leader did not end with commerce, however, for the King’s intrusion brought British soldiers into their homes and mandates on religion into their minds. Being British meant simply being enslaved to the State above all else. Fortunately, for us, the American colonists had a different take on life.
They were a tough breed, bred upon the hardships and discipline imposed upon them by reality. Unlike their overseas brethren who were isolated on a little rock of a country, the colonists over here were consumed with the breadth of the North American continent. The awe-inspiring natural beauty and resources of America infused upon their minds the magnificent work of an all-powerful, all-existing Creator. Yet, why exist all of this splendor?
If the colonists wanted to eat and be clothed, they found that they could readily hunt and fish for their wares. When they wanted to store food and provisions for the significant winters they experienced, they did not need any government official to tell them to settle down and build shelter upon the land they possessed. When marauding natives threatened their security, they could elect to negotiate or fight; they did not need to rely upon a slow-responding and much distant government.
Slowly, the American colonists began to realize that Creation was meant to benefit all humankind irrespective of their place in society or their nationality of origin. All that it took to succeed in life was hard work, self-discipline, resilience, and a great deal of common sense. It did not require government intrusion or licensing. Success was based upon competitive evolution and not bureaucratic oversight.
If Creation was to benefit all, the colonists rationalized, then it could only mean that it was the individual human person, created in the image of their God, that reigned supreme. Not some distant and unapproachable monarch. They knew that Christ Himself ate with the lepers and forgave the prostitutes. They knew that their Lord was the One who sacrificed His own life so that the lowliest amongst us could live in everlasting peace. King George lorded over them so that his throne would have everlasting power. God, they knew, was on the side of the farmer, the fisherman, the carpenter, and the homeless. God was on the side of those whom He created.
Empowered with the knowledge that it was the individual person who received God’s blessings, the colonists took the natural next step in rationalization and realized that God granted every human person on the planet certain inalienable rights – first and foremost was the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. Until this revelation, people had simply forfeited to being slaves of the State. What King George said had to be correct for, well, King George was King. Not anymore.
The colonists first sent their grievances to the King through official channels. It did not work. Next, they chose to organize an impromptu rebellion by turning Boston Harbor into one big cup of Earl Grey. It did not work. Finally, the colonists gathered about themselves, decided that life was not worth living under the watchful eyes of a tyrant, and so chose to make their next shot one “heard around the world”. If they were going to suffer, then they were going to suffer for a purpose.
Under unimaginably bitter odds and conditions, the American colonists declared themselves independent of Britain and fought tooth and nail – sometimes more tooth than nail, sometimes more nail than tooth – for freedom. They lost battles, but kept on fighting. They lost men and supplies, but they kept on fighting. They sometimes lost their will, but still, somehow, they kept on fighting. Then the miraculous occurred – they won.
Their triumph over impenetrable odds set the stage for nearly every global revolution since. Most did not parallel the American’s concern for individual freedom and liberty. The next revolution on the docket came within our former ally in France. Here, however, monarchy had been simply replaced by anarchy. Everyone suffered. The rich, the poor, the bureaucrats, the clergy. Revolutionary France was not Revolutionary America. We fought for Paradise. They fought for Hell.
Observing this, Thomas Jefferson orchestrated an addendum into our newly crafted Constitution. He realized that liberty did not mean very much if government could always trample upon the individual. Not desiring a repeat of French chaos back home, Jefferson penned our Bill of Rights to ensure that tyranny would never, ever again visit American soil. First amongst these, was the right to speak and worship freely. Jefferson realized that government could not interfere upon an individual’s right to worship God in their own way. Nor could government create its own religion and deity.
Equal to this right to worship God without fear of recrimination, Jefferson ensured that all people were permitted to freely and responsibly speak their mind. No longer need people fear calling their leaders out for failure to uphold their basic human rights. To ensure that the first change to the Constitution would always remain intact, Jefferson included within the very next modification the individual’s right to keep and bear arms. He knew that those within power invariably seek greater power and the only way to ensure their legitimacy and modesty was through having an armed population ready and capable of taking their country back from any tyrant.
These simple words, embedded into our national government, are what make America extraordinary within the eyes of the world. We can worship our God, our way, and there will be hell to pay for any person or institution who tries to prevent us from freely expressing our thoughts. If our voices are forced into silence through abusive government then we are quite capable of physically removing those offenders from our government. This is what our founding fathers fought and died to uphold.
Unfortunately, today, we are at a crossroads in American evolution. Already, there are many amongst us who challenge our freedom to worship God as we see fit. Our Christian heritage is being torn from our midst as institutions challenge our concept of freely expressing our faith. Environmentalists have begun to replace this faith with a government-mandated religion in the form of “Global Warming” induced hysteria. Government has begun to intrude within our lives in a manner that would make King George green with envy. Our Constitution, designed to shield us from foreign influence, has been chiseled into pieces through transnationalism. The most innocent amongst us, the unborn, those who until birth represent no race, no creed, no nationality, have been dehumanized through mere interpretation without representation. Yet we remain silent.
How long before we realize that we cannot always rest upon the shoulders of others? We have allowed ourselves to become like Don Knotts in the movie The Shakiest Gun in the West. Before long, someone will call our bluff and it will be then that we learn how much we are willing to fight for. If we cannot defend humanity, if we cannot defend our rights, if we cannot defend America, then what are we doing partaking of these same benefits? We can only chose between Constitutional America and Washington as we know it. There can be no compromise with this. Where do your loyalties lie?
Those of us who love and admire America can only watch in bemused incomprehension as her people fritter away what was so hard-won.
Is the "last, best hope" of mankind really going to end with a socialist whimper?
We watch and we hope and we pray not.
Posted by: kg | May 01, 2009 at 03:13 AM
I sure hope there's going to be enough who are willing to fight for America, cos a fight is sure coming your way.
Posted by: MK | May 01, 2009 at 10:09 PM
I am willing to fight for my country. I am also willing to die for it. But I want a fighting chance. I want an army of freedom fighters who believe the same way. I do not like losing. If we really band together, that means weapons, that means once you start their is no quiting or going back. It has to began soon or it will be to late. DR
Posted by: Dennis St. James | August 19, 2009 at 09:14 PM
You've got that right Dennis St. James. All out or nothing.
Posted by: Debbie | August 19, 2009 at 09:17 PM