Posted on 05/12/2002 12:12:26 PM PDT by Jeff Head
Read carefully the following list of quotes. Most of them were written by men who wrote the Constitution or were involved in its cration and founding. As you read, compare the thought processes exhibited by these individuals with what you hear from many "politicians" and so-called experts and historians today. "Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense? Where is the difference between having our arms in possession and under our direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?" "Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined," - Patrick Henry "Resistance to sudden violence, for the preservation not only of my person, my limbs, and life, but of my property, is an indisputable right of nature which I have never surrendered to the public by the compact of society, and which perhaps, I could not surrender if I would." - John Adams "That the said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms." - Samuel Adams "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom...go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels nor arms. May your chains set lightly upon you and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams "The Bill of Rights stills shines in all of its splendor, but many Americans are looking the other way. Many Americans have drifted back to that old concept of government that our forefathers feared and rejected. Many Americans are now looking to government for security. Many Americans are no longer willing to accept personal responsibility for their own welfare.Yet personal freedom cannot exist without individual responsibility." - Dean Russell "Any act of the legislature, repugnant to the constitution, is void." - Supreme Court Chief Justice Marshall "We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other." - John Adams
Those who wish to fundamentally change our Republic and abolish our liberties do not want these principles taught or understood. DO not trust anyone who is of such a mind. They are an enemy to all we hold dear. It is therefore left to us to publish and proclaim them to all who will hear ... and to ALWAYS remain prepared to defend our liberty against all enemies, foreign and domestic. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for people to retain their right to keep and bear arms is as a last resort to protect themselves against tyranny in government." - Thomas Jefferson
The fact is, we have departed relatively far from the principles articulateded by our founders for preserving what they founded. The further we depart, the more at risk our liberty and way of life. The preservation of our liberty and our Republic is based on four rather straight forward principles, upon which all else must be built IMHO.
Our founders understood all of this and articulated it masterfully. Though times and technology have changed, human nature most assuredly has not. Therefore, evey principle espoused above still holds and must be "guarded with jealous attention."
The full flavor of liberty can only be savored by those willing to undergo the hardship and travail of defending it. No principle or belief system, that was not worthy of sacrificing one's all to maintain, was ever capable of producing the conviction, responsibility and moral virtue required for true liberty.
The first is freedom of speech and expression - everywhere in the world.
The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way - everywhere in the world.
The third is freedom from want - which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peace time life for its inhabitants -everywhere in the world.
The fourth is freedom from fear - which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor - anywhere in the world.
It is not only our right to have arms, it is our duty to be ready to defend ourselves and our country.
Just kinda scares me a bit . Stay Safe !
Stay Safe !
Religion
Speech
Property
Defense
... among others.
I believe that we have no guarantee or right to frredom from want or fear ... those things are a necessary risk one entails in pursuing growth and they can make us stronger.
I do believe we have the right to pursue our own self improvement, but only in a way that does not infringe on others. If I cannot take from someone else down the block and give their belongings to another because I believe the other is worse off and "needs" it, then the government (which is made up of us people collectively) cannot do it either ... even to try and "assure" equality or security. It is theft.
There is ony One whom I will trust to take my goods and spread them collectively for the benefit of others. No King but King Jesus whom I will freely give all I have to for that purpose.
Until that time comes and He returns to do so ... I believe that we must rely upon free will giving and charity of the people in a free society founded upon the knowledge of unalienable rights, founded upon fundamental morality, founded upon people freely choosing to adopt that morality and founded upon every frree man's (or woman's) right to defend themselves, their property and their rights. That definition, IMHO, describes what this Republic was founded to be.
Thanks for the BUMP my friend.
All the more reason to, as Patrick Henry said, "guard with jealous attention" this right and the force is represents against the tyrant of any stripe.
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