According to my dictionary the word slavery defines a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them. When America rebelled against England in 1776, slavery was legal. Landowners owned slaves. The founders struggled with the concept of keeping slaves while they defined the concept of “all men are created equal.” Thomas Jefferson originally had words which included slaves in the Declaration of Independence. The southern colonies would not join the union if the declaration included slaves as equals. A long debate ensued and ultimately, the fathers concluded that a strong union of the thirteen colonies was most essential. Jefferson wrote the last version of the Declaration of Independence as it stands today. The founders were the first to kick the problem(slavery) down the road; thus setting a precedent for current congressional leaders to do the same with issues like Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid.
One hundred years later, Abraham Lincoln, founder of the Republican party, finally decided to end the can kicking and abolished slavery. The cost he incurred was huge both in dollars, and in human lives. He believed as did Jefferson (who was reportedly the founder of the Democrat party) that the slaves must be included in the “all men are created equal,” phrase of the Declaration. Lincoln took a hard stand and signed the Emancipation Proclamation, ending slavery in the USA. He chose to do the right thing and not to kick the can down the road.
I suggest that everyone review the Declaration of Independence. I did, and I if I didn’t know it was the Declaration, I would swear the writer described the same issues we face in our country today. The Declaration is a call to arms and gives the rationale for doing so. Today, citizens of the USA are divided. Half are on the side of the government (monarchy) while the other believes in the right to govern themselves. In 1774-76 the colonists made ready for armed revolution to take their country from the King of England. Today, we see a Tea Party who believes as the colonists, i.e. we have the right and moral obligation to govern ourselves. Instead of an armed revolution Tea Party people like myself believe in peaceful use of the existing process to win back the country.
Since Lincoln’s time, our leaders in Washington have invented new philosophies for governing. Some say, that it is the role of Government to take care of the people under the “Welfare” clause of the Constitution. There is a Jefferson quote carved in stone at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington that contradicts the philosophy that we are stupid, and need to be cared for;
“I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.”
Thomas Jefferson believed in man’s ability to think and care for himself. We do not need another man to Lord over us.
Thomas Jefferson foresaw that if left unchecked, the government would rebel against the will of the people and revert to tyranny. He truly believed as did his compatriots, that “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed . . . .”
Obama’s speech this week to the GWU students clearly signaled his intention to stifle any effort by the people to take back their government and reverse exorbitant and costly social programs.
Are We the People going to stand for that, or will we allow him to lead us down the road to big government dependency and ultimately become tax-slaves to feed the monster?
Related Articles
- Why was The Declaration of Independence Written: Famous Quotes from The Declaration of Independence (brighthub.com)
- Who is credited for writing the American Declaration of Independence (wiki.answers.com)
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