For over the past few days I have been on a crusade of sorts. I've been walking down the streets of my little town waving my rather large American Flag. I've caused quite a stir in Madisonville. How many people actually go out and stand up for their beliefs in such a way that draws so much attention to themselves. Few people today have that courage, to stand up and accept either the accolade of thousands or their criticism and disdain. Very few people indeed voluntarily subject themselves to that exposure.
Which is why I suppose why I have drawn the attention that I have. Especially when somebody calls the cops thinking that there might be something wrong with you. Yes, on the third day of my flag protest someone had called the cops to investigate what exactly it was I was doing walking down the street with Old Glory. The investigating officer was really friendly, he didn't exactly understand why he was sent down to talk to me. He did not have a problem with me walking up and down the streets with a flag. The whole incident humored me greatly. It was some gratification to me, I was getting people's attention. As subsequent to being pulled over by the police, the editor of the Messenger, the local newspaper, ran out to take my picture and talk to me about what I was doing.
Which is why I am here writing. I am here to explain my position a little more fully.
I am a patriot, in the truest sense of the word. I believe in the freedom of mankind to choose for themselves a government that best represents their interest and I believe that we have certain rights that we have been granted that can never be removed us, no matter what others might try to do. I believe that everyone has the same rights to freedom, liberty, and happiness. No matter what the differences that separate us, we all deserve the same rights and indeed we have them. Even if others would like to deny it for reasons of their own.
This is what has compelled me to act. I love America for the reason that it is the country that best represents the spirit of patriotism, even when we have so much further that we can go to ensuring that every citizen of the United States has complete and irrevocable freedom. I see so many Americans who freely give up their freedom. They give up their liberty and they do not even realize that they are doing it. It greatly distresses me.
What exactly am I talking about? What do I mean by saying that people are willingly giving up their freedom? I am talking about the people who do not think for themselves when it comes to matters of national importance. I am talking about the people who listen to the news networks like Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC, the people who allow other people like Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reliey, Glenn Beck, and Wolf Blitzer to form their opinions for them. People who allow the media outlets to think for them and allow these networks to tell them how they should vote. These are the American citizens who I am referring to. When you yield your voice to these people and allow them to vote for you, you surrender your freedom.
When you no longer think for yourself and allow other to do the thinking for you, when you vote, the government you are electing stops becoming a government of you, for you and by you, the people; and it starts to become a government of them, for them, and by them. Do not mistake me for a disgruntled right winger with a bone to pick with President Barrack Obama. I voted for him and I trust him to do the job I elected him to. Unlike others I know who voted this past fall, I seemed to have actually thought about the decision I was making, rather than just blindly voting for the sake of doctrine. Be reminded, this is not a matter of Conservatism versus Liberalism. This is a matter of exercising your right as an American citizen to make informed and educated voting choices. I am not suggesting that everybody who actually thought about their vote and did research about the candidates would have voted for Barrack Obama, no that is not what I am saying. What I am saying is that people should decide for themselves the government that best suits them.
When you do the research for yourself and do thinking for your own interest it is only then when you exercise fully
your freedom and liberty as an American citizen. When you take in all of the facts and make the decision of your own volition and do not allow the pressure of others to sway you, it is only then that you truly become a patriot of this country and when you truly do "The Spirit of '76" justice.
The Second President of the United States, John Adams, who is by and far my favorite of the Founding Fathers of this country, had a couple things to say on the subject of liberty. He is one of the people in the Continental Congress who while other were fighting with guns and powder for our Independence, he was fighting with words for us. He spent a great deal of his time in the Second Continental Congress fighting for the cause of Independence, we can thank him most especially for when we declared our Independence when we did. This is what he had to say on the matter of Liberty.
"
Liberty cannot be preserved without general knowledge among the people."
"
Liberty, according to my metaphysics is a self-determining power in an intellectual agent. It implies thought and choice and power."
"
The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty."
What exactly is Mr. Adams saying with these statements? I think that these statement speak plainly enough to what Mr. Adams thought about liberty and freedom and the responsibilities of the American people. To have true liberty in this country is to be fully informed with all your opinions. If you are ignorant of the situations going on in Washington D.C. and do not have all the information you need to make proper decisions, then you have no liberty at all. The ignorant cannot be expected to make good decisions. You must think for yourselves to have true liberty in this country, you must make hard decisions. Voting is not a simple thing, it requires a great deal of responsibility. The final statement on liberty can be take several ways, I interpret it to mean that you should not allow one man to hold enough power over you to completely surrender your ability to exercise your liberty.
That is my whole purpose for parading around with an American flag. I want the American people to remember that this is still a government of, for, and by the people. The elected officials do not hold supreme power over us. If they do something we do not like, it is our responsibility to inform them in a respectful manner. It is one of our First Amendment Rights to peacefully and respectfully assemble to petition to the government our grievances.
It is my purpose to remind the American people that they should remain responsible citizens of this country of Liberty by educating themselves before they go to polls and before the protest. It is your responsibility to your liberty and freedom to be informed. I am not suggesting that you completely disregard what these talking heads are telling you. I am just saying to question everything you hear. Discern for yourself the speaker's motivation. Gather your information from several different sources, somewhere behind all of the bias is the truth.
I do not care which party you ally yourself with, I do not care whether you are conservative or a liberal. Thinking and being a responsible citizen is not a partisan issue. Do not allow others to sway your opinion, think for you. Do your research and educate yourself and make the most informed decisions you can. Then no one can fault you for your choice, you would have down what is in your best interest and that is all that any American can ask of you.
With Liberty and Justice for All!
Comments (4)
Standing up for liberty is an admirable thing, especially when you're a solo voice. I applaud your one man crusade. To quote a friend of mine "it's your blood bought freedom" I don't support Obama because of the very reason of liberty, but the points you make here are very good. Rec to you
i don't know what you mean
@ShamelesslyRed - Thanks so much your thoughts, and your recommendation.
@apyus - I don't know what you mean.