Sunday, November 12, 2017

being a patroit

 The meaning and use of words has always been important to me. I guess I have always wanted to know exactly what it is you are trying to say. I have always been aware that the same word or phrase can mean vastly different things. Context is of primary importance. You do have to know when and where those words or phrases are being used.  Now that isn't to say I feel like I have such an extensive vocabulary, I haven't actively searched out and learned new words but rather tried to learn the ones that made my thoughts clear. There are times when words do get confusing and I have to look them up. Often there are several meanings listed. That is where knowing the context will clear things up. Another interesting thing to me is how that meaning can change over time. The word that comes to mind this morning is Patriot. I'm certain that is simply because we have just finished celebrating Veterans day. I used that word, a description really, in my brief address yesterday at our Veterans day ceremony. I summed up my thoughts by saying. " We remain citizens only by their sacrifice, may we never take freedom for granted, it was won by Patriots and is preserved by Veterans. "
 I wonder now how many share my understanding of the word patriot. To me a patriot is one that loves and defends his nation. That doesn't imply a blind obedience to that nation. In fact a true patriot will fight for what they believe to be the correct action for government to take. We live in a Republic. How many understand what a Republic is ? It is understandable that many would be confused about that. Our political leaders, our teachers and others often call our government a Democracy, which it is most definitely is not. Does it employ democratic principles ? Yes it most certainly does, but it is not a democracy. The distinction is subtle but it is distinction. When Ben Franklin was asked, following the constitutional convention, what form of Government do we have Doctor ? His response was, a Republic is you can but keep it. Why did he say that ? Because he knew that to be the truth of it. He also knew that Aristotle, hundreds of years in the past, had written  " Republics decline into democracies, democracies degenerate into despotisms." Have we reached the " democracy " phase ?
 There are certainly many who believe that to be so and even more that believe that is a good thing. The truth is, it is a decline, just as Aristotle said. And what is very troubling is that Patriots are now being labeled Nationalists ! They are entirely different descriptions and are not interchangeable. Just as so many interchange Democracy with Republic, they are substituting Patriot with Nationalist. As an American you should be alarmed by this. Instead many are blindly and foolishly accepting this. Given a few more generation and despotism will be the result.
 I know I sound like chicken little, the sky is falling. I would ask you to consider this. There is much talk of how our government needs to provide for its' citizens. But is charity a function of government ? It certainly is not and that is why it is not included in the Constitution or Bill of Rights. Remember it is those documents that delineate our government ! Those documents form a Republic.  Daniel Webster stated in his address to the Senate, " It is, Sir, the peoples government, made for the people, made by the people, and answerable to the people. The people of the United States have declared that this constitution shall be the supreme law. " If we the people allow the government to operate, unchecked, outside the boundaries of those documents , we the people have relinquished our republic. We the people are not answerable to the government, the government is answerable to us ! It was Patriots that rejected King George and subsequently won the freedom we all enjoy today. They were not Nationalists ! Nationalists were called Tories back then. Time and context once again.
 I fear our nation has gone bankrupt. We are morally bankrupt, financially bankrupt and there is no one to lead us. We are so busy fighting among ourselves that we are missing the bigger picture. Slowly the government that we the people formed is taking control of us. What portion of our citizenry is dependent solely upon government for their subsistence ? Oh, but you say, that is charity. And I respond charity is not the function of government. You won't hear it on the evening news but as of 2012, 49.6 % of the population is dependent upon the government in some fashion. The fact remains, if the government can not pay out the benefits they currently pay out, almost half the population would be in desperate straights. Half way to total dependence upon the government ! Think about that. A democratic choice ? It seems apparent to me but then I'm no great scholar. We the people have voted ourselves right into dependence. We have allowed the government to run unchecked in the name of charity. Instead of focusing upon the health of the nation, we have focused on helping ourselves ! Yes, it will take Patriots to rectify this situation. Patriots willing to fight for the government, not for their personal wants or needs. We the people have that power, we need to exercise it before it is taken away. Patriots neither wanted nor endorsed a Democracy because they knew what that meant. The 51 impose their will upon the 49. A Republic is for all the people.
 Well it is a lot to think about but it is what was on my mind this morning. I believe there are many patriots left in this land. All the others are a distraction, that much is certain. Those with the power doing everything they can to retain that power, those that wish to give it all away, and those that are plain misguided. It is time to focus upon the Republic ! That is what we face. Are we going to allow it to decline into a democracy ?  

No comments:

Post a Comment