Resistance Ping!
A leader will emerge...but the ground swell apparently must begin first.
I think that if any state decided to step up and put secession on the table, there would be a whole lot of Americans willing to go and defend that state. I know that this is somewhat off-topic, but not really. It just takes one spark. The rest would take care of itself.
Modern America: “Give me free birth control and give my unborn baby death”
I've thought of Mr.Henry SO very often the past couple of months .. actually, since '08, truth be told !
FUØ
Unfortunately, the elites who chose the opposition Party's candidate are so entrenched in partisan politics that they ignored America's noble history, offering small ideas focused on "jobs and the economy" when they should have been speaking of freedom versus slavery.
Just think, Patrick Henry spoke out with bravery, passion, and ideas, and challenged his peers in favor of liberty, knowing full well that he had no great American philosophical documents to back up his words! Even so, he spoke out and his powerful words still inspire those who grasp the importance of liberty.
Today's "Patrick Henry," on the other hand, would have available to him:
1. The Declaration of Independence, with its clearly-outlined philosophical foundation for a free people's self-government;2. The Constitution of the United States of America, including its Bill of Rights and all appropriately-adopted Amendments;
3. Knowledge that within that Constitution itself, Article V prescribes the only valid method of Amendment to that Constitution, meaning that many intrusions on "the People's" liberty over the past several decades have occurred without a valid Amendment allowing such intrusions;
4. Access, through the miracles of technology, to the 85 essays of Madison, Hamilton, and Jay, contained in THE FEDERALIST, those wonderful explanations of the Constitution originally written to enlighten the minds of ordinary citizens as to the Constitution's protections of their liberty;
5. Access, at the click of a mouse, to the body of historical writings from which the Founders drew their knowledge, wisdom and understanding of civilization's long struggle for individual freedom and ordered liberty, as well as the Founders' own documents, speeches, letters and writings which might be used to educate current generations; and,
6. The 200+-year history of freedom, opportunity, creativity, prosperity, productivity, and plenty which the Founders' genius and devotion made possible on this continent and throughout the world.
Yes, America needs a "Patrick Henry," and before the light of freedom is extinguished, some brave and courageous soul must emerge who has the passion, dedication to study, and ability to articulate and educate his/her fellow citizens in the ideas of liberty so that millions of citizens can be inspired to reclaim their Constitution. Justice Story made it clear that this is "the People's" right and duty:
"The structure has been erected by architects of consummate skill and fidelity; its foundations are solid; its components are beautiful, as well as useful; its arrangements are full of wisdom and order and its defenses are impregnable from without. It has been reared for immortality, if the work of man may justly aspire to such a title. It may, nevertheless, perish in an hour by the folly, or corruption, or negligence of its only keepers, THE PEOPLE. Republics are created by virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens."
"The structure has been erected by architects of consummate skill and fidelity; its foundations are solid; its components are beautiful, as well as useful; its arrangements are full of wisdom and order...."
-Justice Joseph Story
Now, where is that 21st Century person who will accept the challenge to lead all of "the People" to assert their individual and Creator-endowed rights to self-government under the Constitution which is their rightful inheritance, without regard to ethnic background, economic status, gender, or any of the other divide-and-conquer designations which tyrants use to enslave the minds of their fellow human beings.
Personally, I think a stamp tax on all, and I do mean all, media items is an idea whose time has come. The press has ridden in the wagon for too long. Think of the revenue that a nickle per Tweet will generate, for example. Readers of the NYT, WSJ, and WaPo can easily afford to pony up an additional 75¢, and a dime levy on every minute of network and cable broadcast will raise some serious coin.
Talk radio hosts can be assessed by the word—That way, maybe Rush will stop bitching and let more callers on the air.
Excellent Post!
Is there a Henry to provide the spark in our political house to rouse the people from resistance to action?
I don’t know - I’m not heavy in the political realm - so if there is - I would hope that all would rally with him/her and turn the situation around. At the moment, it seems the majority is the lazy mob to worried about individual concerns than a nation that protects them and provides basic freedoms...I would say Reagan was the last of them...and I’m glad I grew up under his administration!
It is "The American Ideal of 1776," by Hamilton Abert Long, first published in 1963, and republished for the 1776 Bicentennial.