Much of what follows in this article was taken from or inspired by a great brochure, “Back to Basics” (Timeless Truths Series) published by The John Birch Society, to which my wife and I have belonged for about 58 years. Although I’ve written on this subject numerous times in the past here in The Times Examiner, this information—this discussion of foundational principles—is so important that much of it bears repeating, for we are currently living in a nation whose government has shamelessly, purposely, and seemingly without fear of resistance from our people, ABANDONED the Constitutional form of government set up for our republic by the wisdom of our Founders back in 1787.
Today “our” government no longer responds to the will of “We, the People”, but has been captured by a band of evil, despicable, lying Marxist/collectivist plotters called “Democrats” (i.e. The Klan of New Bolsheviks)-led (on the surface) by the anti-Americans in “our” Senate and House—treacherous Benedict Arnolds like Schumer, Swallwell, Feinstein, Pelosi, Schiff, and many others —aided and abetted by a band of cowardly pseudo-Republicans (RINOS) like McConnell, Romney, Cheny, et. al.--who are determined to eradicate the final vestiges of constitutional government that the men and women of our past sacrificed so much, including their very lives, to send down the corridors of time to us—Americans of the present who increasingly give evidence that they could not care less about what form of government they live under. Indeed, if we are to believe the polls (which takes a certain amount of faith to do), the majority of our younger citizens no longer prefer or respect our constitutional republic and the free enterprise system it allows, but prefer “socialism”—a NANNY STATE-- that will “take care of them” from cradle to grave. Well, that’s not for me, and probably not for many of you. Let me tell you why, by quoting mostly from that informative JBS brochure. I believe it is common sense. I hope you will agree.
FOUR BASIC TRUTHS
Because our wise Founders designed a constitutional republic for the U.S. (NOT A DEMOCRACY), most Americans from then until today were born relatively FREE. However, there is a distinct possibility that we could die as slaves because, as an entire people, we’ve lost sight of certain basic truths:
1). FREEDOM CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT MORALITY
It’s an oxymoron to use the phrase: ‘immoral free men’. That makes no more sense than the term “dry water”. Unless people in a bordered society exhibit good character and moral fortitude, the ability to govern themselves will soon be ‘gone with the wind’. You can see it happening all around us today unless you are deliberately blind. When morality declines, as it has here in the U.S. for many decades, the abuse of our constitutional and historic rights increases exponentially, requiring ever larger and more powerful government. Just as criminals need jailers and domesticated animals need herdsmen, AN IMMORAL CITIZENRY NEEDS A POLICE STATE! We can see the truth of that wisdom all around us now in the year 2021, as the Marxist thugs and vicious vandals from Black Lives Matter and AntiFa PURPOSELY maraud throughout many of our cities and towns almost unimpeded, lawlessness and violence are increasing, innocent Americans are dying or suffering, our police are disrespected at best and killed at worst, with low life scum who pretend to govern many cities in mostly “blue” states demanding that our local police be “defunded” or abolished. The LAW OF THE JUNGLE seems to be preferred now, over the ancient morality, and we wonder why our freedoms are evaporating.
2). IGNORANT AND FREE CAN NEVER BE
In order for a people to live under self-government, they must be CAPABLE of self-government; however they must not only be moral but INFORMED. If we, as a people, are not informed with TRUTH, we will increasingly vote for politicians, connivers, and race hustlers who promise the most “free” governmental ‘goodies’. We will vote for more and bigger government until one day we find ourselves chained by TOTAL GOVERNMENT. Are we close to that day here in America in 2021? What do you think?
An electorate who are uninformed—who are ignorant of what is really going on around them—whether they are moral or immoral people, will ultimately vote itself into slavery. Most of history confirms that truth. Even the mighty Roman Republic, and later the Roman Empire, fell prey to that almost inviolable law of human nature. ONLY a moral and well-informed citizenry will usually vote for principled representatives—i.e. those who will LIMIT government to its proper role. Today, those men and women are increasingly difficult to find and are often relentlessly attacked by the enemies of freedom.
3.) OUR RIGHTS COME FROM GOD
When our Creator made ‘man’, He gave him certain inalienable rights. Our Founding Generation said so in our Declaration of Independence. God-given rights, therefore, existed PRIOR to men joining together to form governments—to devise “a more perfect union”. They knew, as many moderns seem to have forgotten (or more likely to have never been taught in our sorry “schools”) that the purpose of a noble and honorable government at any level, anywhere, and at any time, is ONLY to protect those God-given rights! Plainly, the purpose of government can never be to “grant” our citizens rights that they—that WE—already have! Likewise, legitimate and honorable governments can never legislate out of existence those rights that are “inalienable”. That would be the mark of an ILLEGITIMATE government! The American republican form of government was based on these fundamental truths. If we abandon it, as we increasingly seem intent on doing (or at least as The Klan of New Bolsheviks currently in charge of “our” government seem intent on accomplishing—at the bidding or their “deep state” masters) then our constitutional form of government will be lost.
4.) THE ESSENCE OF FREEDOM IS THE LIMITATION OF GOVERNMENT
Because of the “sin nature” of man, some degree of government must, of necessity, exist in order to SECURE the rights given to us by God, because not all men are willing to be good to or respectful of their fellow men. But because government officials at all levels are those very “sinful” men, history has proved, often after much pain and treasure had been expended, that the powers exercised by the very governments under which we live must be STRICTLY LIMITED and constantly controlled. That reality has been in evidence throughout most of human history, for it is a truth long ago carved in stone that ultimately, the greatest threat to any individual’s freedom is the VERY GOVERNMENT UNDER WHICH HE/SHE LIVES.
The U.S. Constitution wisely limited the powers of the Federal government. Sadly, because “We, the People” have become blasé and unconcerned, a great deal of what “our” government does today is PLAINLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL! Americans, sadly, have turned almost a blind eye to the abuse of governmental authority because they have increasingly ignored basic truths. Freedom will only be preserved for future generations if we go back to the wisdom of our Founders, and back to the basic rights they codified for us. Any other course of action is to guarantee perpetual serfdom under a tyrannical regime!
A GOVERNMENT OF LAWS---OR OF MEN?
I assume you subscribe to one of the most important tenets of freedom, for if we’ve learned anything from history it is this: PEOPLE CREATED GOVERNMENTS; GOVERNMENTS DID NOT CREATE PEOPLE! Therefore the rights granted by the PEOPLE to government are based solely on the God-given rights of those very people who institute governments. EVERY person has the right to defend his/her life, liberty, and property, which then infers that individuals also have the right to join with others and form a government to protect those God-given rights, just as did our Founders in July of 1776, in our immortal Declaration of Independence. But we all must remember and respect another truth: An individual does NOT have the right to violate the rights of another, AND NEITHER DOES ANY GOVERNMENT!
It is obvious that any government formed by people has to be large enough to secure these God-given rights, but not so large as to violate or destroy those rights, as our current U.S. government seems intent on doing. If you understand that simple principle then you understand the proper role of government. It is also obvious that if there were no government, as in anarchy, people’s rights would not be secure at all. Ultimately the criminals or violent insurrectionists will take control, eliminate many of their own supporters who are anarchists, and then the strongest or the most organized or the best armed will proceed to enslave their fellow citizens. People acting alone are usually unable to protect their liberties against large mobs of criminals, rioters, looters, and insurrectionists, i.e. against the criminal acts of evil and unjust people. (Armed citizens may do so under some circumstances, and it often has been necessary to do so --and may increasingly be required in the time ahead--but one man against a mob can lead to bad consequences, even though it may be the only choice).
All of human history has amply demonstrated that people’s rights are NOT secure under any kind of system of total government, as always exists in tyrannical left wing regimes such as communism, most socialist regimes, Nazis, Fascists, repressive monarchies, and any hybrid combination wherein the government is all powerful and the people are reduced to fearful (and unarmed) slaves. Such governments sometimes grant SOME of its citizens (usually the lap dogs and butt kissers and “party members”) some privileges occasionally, but those same privileges can be taken away from them on a whim (or if one “offends” some party elite). Whenever government has total power, the people who exist under that government have NONE. What is the root of the word “totalitarian”? It is “TOTAL”.
All Americans once knew, as we all should know today (but don’t), our rights are only secure under a limited government! The larger the government becomes, the less secure are the rights of the people. Our Founders wisely established the U.S. as a constitutional republic, a form of government perhaps halfway between anarchy on the right of the political scale (no government) and totalitarianism on the left of the political scale (total government). Throughout mankind’s existence it has never been easy to preserve liberty. Totalitarian/authoritarian regimes have been the rule since Nimrod tried to build The Tower of Babel in the Land of Shinar (Babylonia). As George Washington was supposed to have cautioned (but didn’t): “Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.” THAT is why our Founders, in their wisdom, gave us a government of laws, NOT of men (which is the very definition of “republic”), for they knew that government, like fire, had to be contained lest it consume those who created it. Unfortunately, the leftist moonbats who control “our” government today have never learned that basic political fact, and they surely don’t want YOU to think about this hoary wisdom!
Let’s face reality: Americans will either be governed by laws or ruled by men. Because of the sinful nature of mankind, induced by Satan (the FIRST Marxist) into our species right from the start, rule by men (and not law) always ends in tyranny of some form! Always. Only as we struggle to preserve our constitutional government under laws will our God-given rights be forever secure. Right now in America of the year 2021, those rights look to be in jeopardy, as an evil horde of Marxist/socialist/collectivist political monsters are doing their best to fasten their tentacles of repression on all of us. If we let them get away with it, who will be to blame? If we acquiesce to their tyranny what will we tell our grandchildren when they no longer live in a free republic? What will be our monument to history—a free nation or, in the immortal words of George Orwell, “A jackboot stomping on a human face, forever”? Right now that appears to be a “toss up”!
Most importantly, WHAT will we tell our Creator, someday in the future, about what we—what YOU--did to help preserve mankind’s freedom? What excuses will we—will YOU--attempt to use to justify our cowardice and our acceptance of evil? Will we tell Him that we “prayed about it”—that we “voted in every election”—that we lived on our knees as we submitted to the incorrect teaching about Romans 13 that our pastors assured us was the correct interpretation of His Word? I shudder to think about it.
