Nightmare

I was awoken by a nightmare tonight for the second time this pregnancy, both after having taken acetaminophen. This time I took two because the first didn't help. When you've got one child and nobody to call when you're sick you've really got to nip it in the bud, especially when your headaches can be incapacitating. I always like to blog when I wake up in the middle of the night and I have a few blogs that I haven't published because those topics are tough to keep short and sweet. This post is about one very close to my heart and while enough can never be said on this topic it is something that I see pretty black and white.



Americans are awakening from discontented apathy. People have a reason to be angry, in fact our founding fathers fully expected that we would rise up against of government from time to time, armed if necessary.

"God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty . . . And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure." -Thomas Jefferson

And this extremely appropriate one:

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." -Benjamin Franklin

I hope our MLK, our Gandhi will stand up soon to remind people of passive resistance. Not only have humans been on this earth long enough to be able to solve problems without violence there is another important reason the federal government must not be completely overthrown- I don't think the outlook for survival looks good if it were to collapse. Besides the people who are sustained directly by federal aid, the federal government has a hand in everything we depend on.

Some people are looking to their federal government for more, pointing to programs in Europe as examples and demanding we follow suit. My message is that nothing comes without string attached. I want to scream it at the top of my lungs, paint it on my forehead, tie a banner to my car, and paint the front of my house with it.

People like to say that the founding fathers are rolling over in their graves at the state of our country- even the Federalist ones. Fortunately their words are still here, if mostly forgotten. I wonder if it's not part of the socialist educational system's ploy that I didn't even hear about the concept of original intent until right before I graduated. Regardless, the Constitution is vague, but the fact that there are laws which contradict the Constitution should be a sign that we are not safe. Presidents must have to practice hard not to laugh when they take their oath of office:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

If our presidents are going to break their oaths then they might as well change the oath. The Constitution can be ratified for God's sake but lawmakers don't even bother. It's offensive but it's a good subversive strategy- ratifying the Constitution would raise a red flag and people would come out of the woodwork to fight it even if they really didn't understand, which describes the majority of Americans.

My position has not been a popular one, mostly it is older folks who share my views. Some of my generation join me in distrusting the government but not many see the importance of the preservation of our natural rights. The backlash for my beliefs is often a hostile one- why don't I support universal healthcare? Why wouldn't I want to take care of the nation's poor? The younger people who share my views are often chastised as spoiled kids living off their parents. I may be in a more comfortable position now but I can tell you my devotion to this issue runs deep- I campaigned for Ron Paul in 2008 while homeless and squatting without heat or electricity in an apartment in winter. It's not something a lot of people know about me and I'm sure my parents would die to hear it.

"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." -Samuel Adams

Unlike Adams, my friends don't need to all think the way I do, but I hope to inspire thought. To those of you who want a system like in the European Union- think of the freedoms you risk losing, think of those we are immediately poised to lose. I am not prepared to lose the right to bear arms, the right to home school my child, and the other things our media is gearing us up to lose. We have lost quite enough!

To those who disagree: I am not opposed to government assistance. I am opposed to federal government assistance. Lobby your local government to tax and create programs for whatever you believe in because when it starts to stink you can change it! If you want to live in a socialist/communist society- go live in one! I'm not ashamed to admit that I've considered moving to a commune more than once in my life. Communal or semi-communal living is a great idea when you are directly involved in the government and can leave at any time. If we cannot agree I will still be your friend as long as we can agree not to shove our ideas down each other's throats.

To those who agree:

"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government." -Patrick Henry

While Patrick Henry and many of our founding fathers advocated violence and it is our right and even, as Jefferson said, "Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God," let that be passive resistance. Let us revamp our government peacefully with higher ideals. Let our government and the business they are working for know that we will not be fooled. Let us peacefully protest, strike, boycott, and spread the word. Imagine the feeling of having accomplished the task that lies ahead of us, like walking outside after a storm and filling our lungs with the fresh air and feeling rejuvenated. Imagine knowing your children will grow up knowing more freedoms than you!