ELECTION AND 4TH OF JULY!
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Type of Content: Article "Don Barletta" ConstitutionLovers@Everywhere.com Hello. ------------------------------------------------- by Neal Ross: As our nation prepares to once again celebrate Independence Day, I find myself wondering what reason we have to celebrate. In the midst of an election year, with two candidates running for President who do not have the slightest clue as to the intent of the Constitution, I ask myself, how could this country have sunk so low as to even remotely consider these two men as candidates for the presidency? Is this the best that we have to offer? Once again, how did we allow ourselves to get to where we are? While those who seek the office of President may be unworthy to set foot in the Oval Office, it is not they who we have to blame for our predicament. It is we the people who are at fault. When I write about the problems this country faces, and the things I believe that must be done to change our nations course, I often use quotes by our founding fathers. I have, not often, but occasionally been asked why I rely so heavily upon the writings of the founders to explain my viewpoint. As hard as I find this to accept, it seems as though most Americans find little importance in the thoughts of our founding fathers. The names Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, and James Madison are but distant memories, people written about in history books, with little importance in our modern lives. When Ron Paul was campaigning for President, he was shunned and rejected by his peers, the media, and by the majority of Americans because they do not understand the principles which are contained in the Constitution. However, I cannot recall one Republican debate where the name Ronald Reagan was not mentioned at least once, and in terms that bordered on adulation. Yet did not Ronald Reagan make the following comments? "We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions." "To sit back hoping that someday, some way, someone will make things right is to go on feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last - but eat you he will." "The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much." "No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth!" "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." "Man is not free unless government is limited." Those all sound strikingly similar to the writings of Thomas Jefferson, and the view of Ron Paul in regards to government. Why is it that Americans idolize Ronald Reagan, yet forget Thomas Jefferson and shun Ron Paul? Could it be that our education system has failed to educate our children properly in regards to the Constitution and the basis for its provisions? I can tell you from firsthand experience that I did not get a thorough education concerning the Constitution. I knew of the basic outline of the Constitution, but not the specifics. I knew of the Bill of Rights, but was not taught about the reason for its existence and its binding nature as described in its preamble. I knew nothing of the Federalist Papers, I never had the chance to learn of the various concepts for government put forth in the Constitutional Convention. All of this I missed out on in my civics class, and I graduated from high school 32 years ago. Yet I certainly had the opportunity to take Home Economics, Film and TV Drama, and take two free periods my senior year, which happened to be the same year they taught civics. Instead of giving seniors the opportunity to take two free periods, it would have been better to have a two hour civics class that could have covered the origins of our system of government in more detail. I may have complained at the time, but I would not have had to spend three years of my life researching the material as I have had to do. It is not only our schools failure to properly educate the children of this country in regards to politics that is at fault. Our schools have been systematically dumbing down our children going back to the time I was a student. I remember when your grades depended upon a certain percentage out of one hundred percent. Then they introduced the bell curve for grading. It did not matter if every student in the class got less than fifty percent of the answers correct on a test, there would still be a certain percentage of A’s, B’s, and C’s, all the way to failing. So, instead of someone who got thirty six percent getting an F, they may receive a B. Add to all this the fact that many of our schools have to spend just as much time teaching students English as a second language, and you begin to understand why our children grow up to elect leaders like Barack Obama and John McCain. They have no clue as to what are the functions and limitations of the President of the United States. It is no wonder we continually re-elect Congressmen and Senators who violate their oath of office to uphold the Constitution with impunity. How can we hold them accountable when we don’t even know who or what they are accountable to? If you ask me, our ignorance of these things is to blame for the majority of the problems this country faces. You can blame much of it on our education, but I was a product of that same educational system and I took it upon myself to become educated as to the meaning of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. If we, as a people, still had a burning desire to remain a free and independent people, instead becoming dependent upon government and their unconstitutional subsidies, we would have revolted decades ago. If we understood the true meaning of liberty we would have never allowed people like Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Teddy Kennedy, John McCain, and many others, to ever remain in public office. Unfortunately most Americans are ignorant, and until that changes, nothing else will. Therefore, when I write about the Constitution and our government I will rely upon those who wrote those documents for my inspiration. James Madison told us why, and our unwillingness to heed his words has gotten us to the point we are today, "Do not separate text from historical background. If you do, you will have perverted and subverted the Constitution, which can only end in a distorted, bastardized form of illegitimate government." Thomas Jefferson told us what could happen to even the best system of government, "Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny." So, you will forgive me this coming Independence Day if I don’t join in the celebration of our independence, when in truth I feel as though I am witnessing a funeral procession for the death of liberty and freedom in America. "I Think I Will Skip Independence Day This Year" – by Neal Ross ----------------------------------------------------------- New Declaration of Independence: http://constitutioncampaign.org/ad/ad.pdf ----------------------------------------------------------- For Fun: The Dress A (Hot) Dog Contest: http://www.kansascity.com/images/media/070308_hot_dog_contest_FYI_md/ ----------------------------------------------------------- The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder http://www.newswithviews.com/Devvy/kidd372.htm All Americans should read this short article on this 4th of July weekend. It asks you questions that you need to answer.
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