Sunday, March 5, 2017

One nation

 You can see the divide in America today. Everyone is talking about it. Calls for unity are coming from all directions. I haven't seen any serious efforts being made by either side. Each movement is met with suspicion by the other. Accusations are flying. Turmoil is the best word I can use to describe the present situation. I was caught up in the maelstrom myself, but am now fighting to remain on the edge of it. I can not become completely detached from it, it is too important a struggle. Unfortunately,  in review,  I have done little to help. Truth is I don't think I can help. I am not in a position to affect a change. If folks are unwilling to accept a situation then change will not happen. That works both ways in a disagreement. What we have right now is a disagreement and an unwillingness to accept fact.
 There has been a fundamental shift. In the beginning we quietly accepted whatever the situation was. We may have worked towards changing that situation but did so in a subtle fashion. The situation was clear however, there were those of class and privilege and those that were subjugated. Quite naturally the former had wealth and the rest strove towards getting that wealth. It is the battle that man has fought since man formed societies. The simple truth remains, people need people. We need others to either share our triumphs , or to use to our advantage. When people feel that others are trying to impede their progress, unrest ensues. It is the stuff wars are fought over. We are dangerously close to that right now.
 Wars are fought for strongly held beliefs or for power. And make no mistake about it, this is all about power today. You can set aside all the rhetoric about " rights " and " saving the planet " and just concentrate on the power struggle. Money is power. That's the issue here, how is the money going to be spent ? Shall it be spent to increase the power of the government, or shall it be spent empowering the people of that government ? It really is as Franklin said when asked what type of government do we have ? His response was " a Republic, if you can but keep it. " Franklin also said " only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters. "  I'm certainly not seeing virtuous behavior by either side. What is virtue ? Another way of saying that is morality. The moral basis for our nation is Christianity. Oh, I know we are not supposed to say that, we are supposed to deny that truth. Regardless of what you may have heard, or read,  to the contrary you would be wrong. It certainly is our moral foundation. A foundation that must be retained in order for the Republic to survive. The Judeo-Christian tradition is the guiding principle. Truth be told, Islam began with the same traditions. Their " prophet " Mohamed added his own ideology to it. But that is another discussion altogether and one I won't address today. What troubles me is this abandonment of virtue or moral conduct. By abandonment of those principles we are abandoning the Republic. That is why the great hue and cry about the popular vote. A popular vote would be the sole electoral function in a democracy. A simple majority wins every time. A single person or a group of people need only convince 51% of the population. With that , power is obtained. Franklin knew that, Jefferson and all the rest were well aware of that. That is the reason for the Constitution, to limit the power of government and to empower the people. But not just 51% of the people, that isn't sufficient and serves as a safeguard.
 Why the unrest ? Is it because the losing party sees its' power slipping away ? That would certainly appear to be the case on the surface of things. Are the Democrats lacking in morality ? I wouldn't go so far as to make a blanket statement like that. Are the Republicans a threat to the Republic ? Is that what the problem is ? The Democrats seem to think so. The Republicans are going to take away social programs and destroy the environment. Deregulation will weaken the government ! The current administration must be stopped at all expense. Is it a particular political party that is to blame ?  No, my thinking is it is the liberal elite that is behind all this. Why ? Because the liberal mindset is to allow anything and everything as long as it provides a source of revenue ! There are no immoral behaviors then, only profitable ones. In just the last few decades we have seen evidence of this. Lotteries, legalized gambling, legalizing pot, LGBTQ communities are all the norm, all manner of immoral behaviors condoned, indeed legitimized by law. And the liberal elite profit from it all, all the while telling the population it is their " right " to do so. They know all they need do is give the people enough to satisfy their basest desires and they can control that population. Liked the pied piper, the people will just follow along.
 I have no answers. I offer no solution. I can only state what I feel to be the cause. I believe we all need to reexamine our motives. What is it that we want ? Is it for your benefit or the benefit of the nation ? What is the legacy we will leave to our children ? The generation that destroyed the Republic ? I pray that isn't the case. That would be my recommendation however, prayer. Prayer is asking for something, whether it be forgiveness or a favor. The nation needs both ! Forgiveness for forgetting it was by the grace of God that our nation came into existence. The favor ? A reawakening to the truth. One nation , Under God. Under is the operative word here.

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