You emigrated here for a reason. You, or your ancestors at least. For some it was the promise of better hunting. Others, the opportunity to worship as you saw fit. Some of you didn't exactly emigrate---you were forced here to work, driven from your native lands by slave traders or famine.
The American Dream. Does any other country have a national dream? Not that I've heard. There are variations, but the gist is---"If you work hard, and make sacrifices, you CAN do well here". Did anyone come here of their own free will to escape freedom? Why are people still trying to pour in---because of the promise of a totalitarian government?
The rulers that people come here to escape rose to power with a certain level of public support. Usually that support came from empty promises of what the government could do for them---how the government was going to give them the better life they deserved. If someone wants to rise to power, he needs to make the people feel the government cares about, even loves, them. It's a lie.
Our government has slowly but surely overstepped the limits set in place by the founding fathers. The Constitution spells out what powers the government does and does not have...Sure, there have been adjustments over time---equal rights, elimination of slavery, that sort of thing---which represent positive evolution of our government. Shifting things from personal responsibility over to government 'care', only leads to the kind of rulers people came here to escape.
The noblest goal isn't happiness, or sexual liberty, or robbing from the rich to give to the poor. The noblest goal is the heightening of human dignity. There is dignity in charity, but none in entitlement. There is dignity in rising up after failure, but none in penalizing success. Working towards a goal, earning true love, having the grace to pray---all requires one basic ingredient----freedom. It's worth fighting for and preserving. It's difficult now since we're not fighting foreign invaders to defend our freedom, but a domestic populace all too willing to turn too much over to the government; any opponents will be labeled 'haters'. I wish I could make people understand how much I hate poverty, homelessness, loneliness and intolerance. People like me simply believe the answer lies in personal responsibility---not legislation. It isn't the government's job to love you.
3 comments:
Hear, hear!
Depending on the government is easy. Blaming other people for your problems is easy. "Take from the rich and give to the poor" is easy AND noble.
Personal Responsibility is hard.
Your points are good. Thanks for sharing! The trick is how to convince people to do the hard thing.
Yes. And the root problem is taking freedom for granted. 200 year history of some pretty deep sacrifices made for the sake of freedom. Madison tried to warn us.
Once again, you did a good job of encapsulating what I was tryinto say, Rob--thanks
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