"And freedom was born," only to be squandered by subsequent generations.
Where are such men now? The few who dare speak up are demonized, called names of all sorts, marginalized, and rhetorically spit upon. The left calls them racists and terrorists, while the right calls them law-breakers and malcontents, among other things. I have read many books on our Founding generation. I know of these men and women, of their failings and shortcomings, but also of their courage and resolve. In this video Paul Harvey touches on just one aspect of the sacrifices made by a group of men, men selected as representatives of their states.
They did not obey the king's laws, as those laws were enemies of
liberty. They stood against a king, against an empire, and seceded.
That's right - SECEDED! They knew well the shortcomings that this new
nation was going to have to overcome, but they chose to overcome them
through the prism of liberty, not tyranny. They created a document that
would allow changes to be made in a deliberate, contemplative manner,
not rashly and emotionally, for they knew the impact of such decisions
on their own generation and on posterity.
It is well that I make these points in writing and not in an oral presentation, as I find that I get too emotional when looking back on what was, what could have been, and what we have become. I feel strongly that I have a firm grasp on what our Founders envisioned, based on my years of study on this subject. It is because of this knowledge that I find myself all too often fighting sadness when looking at the country around me. Far too many Americans, on the right and the left, have lost sight of or have never had any idea of the legacy left us. Blame for this can be placed on many factions in our country, but at the end of the day the blame has to reside with the individual. There is too much information available and too many avenues for accessing it for anyone to have any excuse for remaining ignorant of what this country was meant to be.
I am reminded of Benjamin Franklin's response to a woman's question, as he left the constitutional convention -
The deliberations of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were held in strict secrecy. Consequently, anxious citizens gathered outside Independence Hall when the proceedings ended in order to learn what had been produced behind closed doors. The answer was provided immediately. A Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin, "Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" With no hesitation whatsoever, Franklin responded, "A republic, if you can keep it."
Alas, I fear we cannot.
It is well that I make these points in writing and not in an oral presentation, as I find that I get too emotional when looking back on what was, what could have been, and what we have become. I feel strongly that I have a firm grasp on what our Founders envisioned, based on my years of study on this subject. It is because of this knowledge that I find myself all too often fighting sadness when looking at the country around me. Far too many Americans, on the right and the left, have lost sight of or have never had any idea of the legacy left us. Blame for this can be placed on many factions in our country, but at the end of the day the blame has to reside with the individual. There is too much information available and too many avenues for accessing it for anyone to have any excuse for remaining ignorant of what this country was meant to be.
I am reminded of Benjamin Franklin's response to a woman's question, as he left the constitutional convention -
The deliberations of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were held in strict secrecy. Consequently, anxious citizens gathered outside Independence Hall when the proceedings ended in order to learn what had been produced behind closed doors. The answer was provided immediately. A Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin, "Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" With no hesitation whatsoever, Franklin responded, "A republic, if you can keep it."
Alas, I fear we cannot.
