Observations©
By Donald S. Conkey
Two weeks ago America celebrated the 235th anniversary of the adoption of America’s Declaration of Independence. That was the day America’s ‘Tree of Liberty’ was planted. That tree grew and blossomed, sending our sweet fragrants of freedom around the world. Within fifty years America had become a beacon of freedom, a light of freedom sitting on the hill for all those then living under tyranny. And that light as it became brighter, would bring hope to those mired in bondage – as subjects of the princes of tyranny all around the world and would draw them to the shores of America. It continues to do so.
But today America’s ‘Tree of Liberty’ is under serious attack – not from without, but within – by those who consider themselves progressive elitists, those who literally believe America’s foundational documents are passé and that they, the elitists, know better what is best for average Americans than the people themselves. Unfortunately average Americans, those scratching out a living, have historically believed the false promises the elitists promises to lead the people back into bondage. They still do. It was Thomas Jefferson who said “Liberty is a boisterous sea; timed men prefer the calm of despotism.”
Liberty is truly a boisterous sea – it requires an educated citizenry to protect those freedoms embedded in America’s precious foundational documents. America’s citizenry should understand, but often don’t, the eight principles of freedom that Jefferson, with the help of his Creator and Supreme Judge of the world, embedded in his unique document of freedom. These principles are:
§ Sound government should be based on self-evident truths. These truths should be so obvious, so rational, and so morally sound that their authenticity is beyond reasonable doubt.
§ The equal station of mankind here on earth is a cosmic reality, an obvious and inherent aspect of the law of nature and of nature’s God.
§ This presupposes (as a self-evident truth) that the Creator made human beings equal in their rights, equal before the bar of justice, and equal in his sight. (Of course, individual attributes and personal circumstances in life vary widely.)
§ These rights which have been bestowed by the Creator on each individual are unalienable; that is, they cannot be taken away or violated without the offender coming under the judgment and wrath of the Creator. A person may have other rights, such as those which have been created as “vested” rights, but vested rights are not unalienable; they can be altered or eliminated at any time.
§ Among the most important of the unalienable rights are the right to life, the right to liberty, and the right to pursue whatever course of life a person may desire in search of happiness, so long as it does not invade the inherent rights of others.
§ The most basic reason for a community or a nation to set up a system of government is to assure its inhabitants that the rights of the people shall be protected and preserved.
§ It then follows that no office or agency of government has any right to exist except with the consent of the people or their representatives.
§ Then, it follows, if a government either by malfeasance or neglect fails to protect those rights – or, even worse, if the government itself begins to violate those rights – then it is the right, and duty, of the people to regain control of their affairs and set up a form of government which will serve the people better.
Progressive elitists have tried to destroy these Jeffersonian principles in the people’s mind, but today a growing number of citizens who, with courage, have initiated the beginning of what could become another ‘civil disobedience’ movement similar to the movement led by Martin Luther King in the 1950s and 1960s, a movement that led to ‘fundamental changes’ in America, some not good changes.
Elitists progressives also fear Jefferson’s document because of six phrases embedded in it. These phrases: “The Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God …;” “Creator . . . ;” “endowed . . .;” “unalienable Rights . . .;” “Supreme Judge of the world” and “divine Providence.”
These words and phrases all strongly allude to and imply the principles of liberty given to Moses on Mt Sinai anciently. It’s no wonder progressives work so hard to prevent the Declaration of Independence, with its God’s influence so deeply embedded in it, from being taught in American schools today? Let’s hope we Americans have the courage to reject today’s progressive agenda.