As I go to tea parties, rallys and most recently the 9-12 March in D.C. (yes, I was one of the 16 who attended) I have learned some very interesting things about myself and about the things that I know about my country and my beliefs about life in general that I will share with you. You see, I am not the kind of person who would normally make a sign, and go into public to make a point. I have been happy to voice my opinion at the polls. I have been the kind of person who has saved talk of politics and faith for my close personal friends and family. It is to me a very emotional and sacred thing. So when my wife and I could take no more of the direction that our country is heading, we decided that we had to step out from our comfort zones and be a part of something that was bigger than ourselves. I went to my first Tea Party in April the 15th. I was nervous. I did not know what to expect. My wife and my 11 year old son attended with me, and as I often do in large crowds, I was constantly scanning for our safety. When it comes to large crowds you never know what to expect, and who knew what kind of opposition we might meet with. We made our way to Legislative Plaza in Nashville, TN along with a crowd of thousands. It was loud, and boistrous. I remained nervous, but it was also very moving to see like minded people. We were not alone. It was good to know. If nothing else came from that day, the knowledge that we were on one of the ground floors of a peaceful revolution was and is heady stuff. I knew that I was able to show my son that there comes a time to take it to the street. That we must be loud and obnoxious sometimes to make our thoughts known. I needed him to know that apathy is not an option and ignorance is not an excuse. My wife and I decided to study the constitution and the history that we were cheated out of in the "government schools." what we came to learn and believe was that we have been systematically decieved. Not only by the Democrats (and isnt it easy to demonized the democrats?) but also by the Republicans. Harsh? Actually, I think that lets both parties off rather light. Both parties have overstepped the powers enumerated by the Constitution. Both have ruled us rather than served us. Both parties have gotten rich from our hard work. I am not saying every politician is a crook, but alot of them sure seem crooked, dont they? The more that I study and learn, the more I really have to change my way of thinking. It is interesting how you can tell if you are talking to a person who has really done the work, or if they have just been sipping the cool-aid. When I go to the Tea Parties, and I went to the 9-12 march in D.C., I am seeing an group of passionate people who are all angry about the same thing. The strange thing is that they are all complaining about different causes. It often seems as though there is some contest to fashion the snarkiest sign. Who can be the most sarcastic and often mean spirited. Now please understand that I am not saying that all the signs are that way, and signs are much better than chewing fingers, but the signs are indicitive of the overall problem as I see it. A clever sign does not make you a patriot. You must know that you know the one big thing. We need a one rightous call. One mission. Imagine If I told the doctor about an array of symptoms I was having and the doctor told me that I had a cancer. Would'nt it be strange if the doctor went about treating the symptoms? If we are to stand and win, we must recognize the cancer and go about the work of curing that cancer. Cut it out, Burn it out-Kill it. I believe that to be a patriot, you must lose your pet grievance and digg deeper. Healthcare cannot be your complaint. Gun ownership cannot be your complaint, nor freedom of speech. This kind of narrow thinking will not get victory. We must come together and agree that the Statist is interested in taking your individual rights from you accross the board. The State wants to rule you, it wants to "take care of you" from the cradle to the grave. If we do not band together and become patriots with one message and one agenda, we will fail the constitution and the ideals that our great country was founded on. We must make others see that we have lost and are losing our God given individual rights. That is what we must fight to get back. We are sliding ever closer to the socialist nation few of us would ever choose. It won't happen in America? It is Happening in America. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.
I challenge you to dig deeper and ask yourself a few questions:
In a free society, should there be:
~regulations imposed on businesses in addition to objective criminal and civil laws?
~a public education system implementing state-influenced curricula and teaching methods?
~restrictions of free speach in the name of not offending others?
~an ability for the government to sieze real estate in the name or eminent domain?
~a central banking system that hold a monopoly over the supply or money?
Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts. I welcome yours in return