Thursday, June 18, 2015

A better choice

 You often hear of how unique and special each of us are. Others say these things to make us feel better. We are told to celebrate our individuality. I understand and appreciate the sentiment. The thing is, I consider myself the common man. Just your typical garden variety man. My words are the words of the common man and I use common logic in choosing them. I believe my opinions are those commonly shared in the American society. It is this commonality that is my contribution to the society. Put that way it doesn't sound very exciting, and it's not. Not much to celebrate. But, it is that commonality that is the essential ingredient in the society. Gotta have flour to make a cake ! It is the majority component, other things add flavor and color.
 To be uncommon is to be different. We are told we should be different. Independant is the word often applied to this. Think for yourself and act on your feelings. Do not just go along with the crowd, be a leader. Truth is there can only be one leader, all others must follow. That is why we have Generals in the army. Each of us can not be that general. We think that because we are not the general we are subservient. We are ! It is that simple. You may not like it, but it is the truth. I am just a foot soldier in this society. I have no wealth and power. What I do have is a voice and the freedom to use it. It is one of a few possessions that the common man has at his disposal. Freedom of speech. It is also the most abused and misunderstood tools of the common man. It is a tool like any other that must be used properly to be effective. Freedom of speech is not a weapon of mass destruction to be utilized whenever you feel threatened. Freedom of speech needs to be carefully applied to be effective. That is what the great speeches are about. Dr. King and his, I have a Dream and Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg. Those are examples of freedom of speech. Both were words of the common man. Both expressed what the common man was thinking.
 But I got off the track a bit here. What I was thinking about was how it takes us all to be a society. A society is not a bunch of individuals, a society is a group, or nation with a common goal. The clear definition of the goal is key to the accomplishment of that goal. Can't do what you don't know needs to be done. Yes we are each different in our individual way. I'm not saying that you should should blindly conform to society. What I am saying is you need to participate in achieving the goal of that society. You can't just, do your own thing. Tried that back in the sixties and it didn't work then, won't work now. It is the common man that makes the society. I know the monied elite and politicians make the laws: not, it is the common man that decides that. We are the majority. We should be defining what we want our society to be, not allowing the minority to decide that. They are allowed to do that only because of our defining of that society. The Big question here is, what is the goal of this society ? Is it to just get all the creature comforts that we can amass ? Is it to become the most technologically advanced nation ? Or is it to provide for future generations ? Just what is the goal ?
The goal is and always has been a simple one. To live free.
 In the beginning we did live free. Then man developed the concept of money. Things weren't free anymore. But, what things ? It is only the things we wanted that cost. All the trappings of life. Things we can buy instead of working for them. Then we started working for money. We created societies to quell the chaos. Nations formed with common goals. Those goals, to live freely according to their traditions. Wars have been fought over that since Biblical times. We are seeing that take place today. Has the goal changed ? Are we now just trying to be the society with the most money ? Why can't we live free ? The answer is simple. We didn't listen to the general. Who is that General ? God.
 There, that is my sermon for today. Now we have to figure out how to best continue. Despite arguments to the contrary I believe our society, our nation, was founded on Christian principles. If we want to get the nation back on track we need to do one thing, listen to the General ! You can't expect a successful campaign without someone to lead. I can't think of a better choice. 

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