My Fellow Americans

“Listen my children and you shall hear..;” not of an imminent attack by a foreign army, but the need to understand why the warning was given. It is time to study the pages of history and bring them forward, while asking ourselves, what if anything, have we learned?

In the days of Paul Revere, what were his concerns and those of his countrymen? Why did they venture to unexplored parts of the world facing unknown dangers and possibly death even before reaching their destination? What would prompt one to evacuate normalcy of family life, stability of community and relinquish familiar surroundings? Would the hapless traveler sacrifice so much simply for the thrill of the chase? Knowing the perils faced by all who sojourned to the new land, we must presume the yearning for freedom and liberty outweighed those fears and ordered up the courage necessary for one to take such a risk.

By embarking on a voyage to the new world, the early settlers held in their minds and felt in their spirits a requisite desire for self-governance and the ability to exercise free will as ordained by their Creator. They were at best unenthusiastic with the seemingly increasing dictatorial and oppressive ruling class monarchy of their current station. Why should an aristocrat, a noble if you will, determine the quality of life of one not considered to have proper breeding? What authority is given and by whom is it given for one man to decree the moral beliefs of another illegitimate? Is it not sufficient for an individual to determine his own level of charity without force of government levy? Should the vocation of the citizen be of his choosing and the fruits of his labor the reward? The subjugation of these basic tenants of freedom induced the contractions which gave birth to America.

But for a brief period did we heed the warnings of the founders, as we find ourselves today facing the same infringements of individual and societal freedoms by government. Securing the nation’s border is the primary responsibility of our government, but that responsibility has been ignored and with that, the sovereignty of the republic is in jeopardy. It is often discounted, but the objective observer must conclude there is an overt effort to diminish if not remove the Judeo-Christian foundation of laws and tradition of America’s history from daily life by the demonization of speech and activity which celebrate same. Massive bureaucracies with unlimited and self-appointed legal power demand compliance with unintelligible laws and regulations which change at the whim of the slightest political wind. These rules often are not based on the preservation of the constitution or made in the best interest of the citizens, but the perpetuation of the current office holder’s power is the import. The negative aspersions attributed to those who work hard, are frugal with their earnings and benefit by those efforts are designed to quell the entrepreneurial spirit, solidify a dependent class and insure the wealth of the ruling class. With the initial prodding into our eating habits and health care decisions, the step to determine length of life cannot be far away.

We became complacent with our freedom and failed to jealously guard the accompanying liberty. The envy of free men which we took for granted will be lost should we not act to preserve it. So now the cautionary lights have changed their hue from amber to crimson. The dulcet tone of the chime has pierced the silence with a call to again defend against governmental tyranny. Our government is one of, for and by ‘we the people’. Therefore it is incumbent on ‘we the people’ to alert our countrymen to the imminent threat which we allowed by virtue of our negligence. It is time for our midnight ride.