by Bentree
(libertarian)
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Individual Liberty & the Founding Fathers
A columnist from the St. Petersburg Times told me in an email exchange that if we (as in the Liberals or Conservatives), told the American people the truth we would all be in trouble.
People need to know and understand that the health and welfare of the individual and cap and trade are not the issues being debated in Congress, it is all about Liberty and Individual Freedoms. The progressives want complete control of our lives and are attempting to codify their ideology as we speak. If they are successful, we will be living in a manner of their choosing, not ours. Republicans are giving lip service to choice while at the same time they continue to promote big government. They are apparently concerned first and foremost with their own re-election.
The two party system was never popular with many of the Founders, the divisiveness created by rhetorical hyperbole and the power to codify self interested ideology is too great. The truth is, the future of the Republic is being negotiated away "now." Progressive purveyors of "change." are attempting to reduce Our Founding documents, the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights to rhetorical insignificance.
It appears, Patriots in either party are few; with self interested, self promoting opportunists being the norm. Few members of Congress will stand and declare the unconstitutional nature of what has been proposed and is now being debated. It seems not a concern that to accomplish the progressive agenda, individual rights must be ignored and a gun will be held to the head of individuals both individually and collectively to in fact accomplish progressive goals.
Usurpation of individual rights is the means, codification of subjugation is the goal. This creates a situation where we, as individuals, will need to decide whether these new laws carry the color, or in fact the force of law. It must be stated that unconstitutional laws bear only the color of law not the force of. Do individuals, after all we are a country of individuals, have the right to make these decisions? Yes, the Founding Fathers come through again.
"But when a long train of abuses and usurpation's, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."
No opaqueness, no need to read between the lines to understand what Adams, and Jefferson, or any of the 56 signers were saying, the language is clear. When the states ratified these documents they certified our right of revolt against tyranny. Are we as citizens, whether natural born or emigres, compelled to subjugation by the majority? If that were the case, when in fact fewer than half of the colonists supported the American Revolution, we would still be genuflecting to the British Crown. This begs the question, has Obama jumped the gate here?
If cap and trade and national healthcare are signed into law, despite the protestations of the American people, what will the reaction of Patriots be? Will we wait until the Right to Keep and Bear Arms becomes a felonious pursuit. The character of the American people will soon be tested.
Is another Civil War too terrible to contemplate? Yes, but so is the loss of Individual Liberty. This is why the founders established the second amendment. If we allow the government to disarm us, our Liberty will be lost forever.
- Alexander Hamilton "[I]f circumstances should at any time oblige the government to form an army of any magnitude, that army can never be formidable to the liberties of the people while there is a large body of citizens, little if at all inferior to them in discipline and the use of arms, who stand ready to defend their rights and those of their fellow citizens." -- The Federalist, No. 29 Source
- Elbridge Gerry "What, sir, is the use of militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. . . Whenever Government means to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise a standing army upon its ruins." -- Source
How prophetic is this?
-Patrick Henry "Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect every one who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined.... O sir, we should have fine times, indeed, if to punish tyrants, it were only sufficient to assemble the people!" Source
- Noah Webster An Examination of the Leading Principles of the Federal Constitution, Philadelphia, 1787 "Another source of power in government is a military force. But this, to be efficient, must be superior to any force that exists among the people, or which they can command; for otherwise this force would be annihilated, on the first exercise of acts of oppression. Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any band of regular troops that can be, on any pretense, raised in the United States. A military force, at the command of Congress, can execute no laws, but such as the people perceive to be just and constitutional; for they will possess the power and jealousy will instantly inspire the inclination, to resist the execution of a law which appears to them unjust and oppressive."
Let there be no doubt that we as individuals are the final arbiters of our liberty no matter what power, foreign or domestic portends otherwise. Debasement of the individual is a tool of the tyrant. Exaltation of the community over the individual is a telltale to slavery. If we lose our Liberty it will be as individuals first and foremost.
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The views expressed
in this article are those of Bentree only and
do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates.
Bentree is solely responsible for the contents
of this article and is not an employee or otherwise affiliated
with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
Posted By: Jahfre Fire Eater
Date: 2010-02-11 21:04:46
Hi Bentree,
 Good article. I have no interest in the question of where or not individuals have the right to make these decisions. All that matters is if they will exercise it. If they do not exercise the right, "having" it or not is moot.
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