Saturday, June 27, 2009

I am concerned

Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown by (John T...Image via Wikipedia



'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.' George Santayana



It would appear that a growing number of Americans never learned of the origins of the United States. Either they have never learned, or they have chosen to forget. The decision to declare our independence from the mother land and the the subsequent Revolutionary War was not an outgrowth of ego. Our founding fathers no doubt anguished over the decisions they were making as they understood fully the consequences of their actions. They understood that what they would do would not only impact them, but would also impact their families forever. With all this concern, what was it that drove these men to launch on their massive undertaking?



Some would readily point to the Boston Tea Party, as that reference has recently resurfaced as tea parties spring up everywhere in protest to our government's current expansion. The historical protest arose from the passage of the the Sugar Act by England in 1764, taxing the colonies on all basic commodities. Some would offer the Currency Act that England enacted in the same year that outlawed future printing of money in America, and made all existing American-printed money "null and void." Parliament was trying to seize control of America's economy, but the American people were not going to let it happen without a fight. While other historical references could be suggested, I would submit to you that all of the reasons coalesce around a fear of the growing tyranny of the mother country. England had assumed that the best way to rule a remote constituency was with a controlling iron fist. The word tyranny, defined by Webster's means "oppressive power exerted by government". It is a derivation of tyrant which is defined as "a usurper of sovereignty".



Because of the current oppression and the anticipated incremental misery that would be forthcoming absent any tangible resistance, our founding fathers answered the call and rose up in indignation. They realized, as was written into our Declaration of Independence, that all the rights of man originate with the Father, and that governments can only serve to either support or oppress those rights. Even after the writing of the Constitution, this was further clarified:



"Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated." --Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Albert Gallatin, 1817. Notice that Jefferson was affirming the limitation of powers relative to benevolent acts. Only a mind of limited faculties would argue that his thoughts on governmental control would not be stronger.



Today, tyranny is back. Where in the Constitution is POTUS granted the authority to appoint a Czar? Why has Congress subjugated themselves to the Federal Reserve System with regard to the management of our currency? Show me the section that says Government can interject itself into general commerce. Tell me how Ford Motor Co. has a chance to compete with a government owned entity that is not concerned with profitability. AIG, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers - why does the government get to pick the winners and losers? Tell me that we don't have taxation without representation today -the Cap and Trade bill just passed the House of Representatives and, in all likelihood, NO ONE has read the bill!?! This is a total dereliction of duty and an abrogation of their constitutional responsibilities.





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