This is one of those times I feel like I'm standing at a crossroad. I'm sure you are all familiar with that feeling. Not quite sure of your destination, or exactly where you have been for that matter, but standing at a crossroads with no signs. That's how I feel this morning. Perhaps it is as simple as the changing of the season, fall is upon us and in more than one way. It's a winding down, a period of rest, like finishing up a job in a way, time to clean up and put the tools away. I do feel like something has been completed, not sure what that is, but something. I have mixed feelings about that, satisfaction in the job being done, a sadness, a wonderment of what to do next. All of those emotions. All the while I'm just standing here, thinking about it all.
The thing is you don't have to take a different road just because you are at the crossroad, although we often feel compelled to do so. I guess that stems from this idea that everything new is somehow a good idea. Nothing is farther from the truth. There are plenty of times and situations when the tried and true is the way to go. Stay the course is usually good advice. Can you really win the game if you keep changing the rules? I don't believe that you can, the best you can do is create a temporary lull. History is evidence of that, as history does repeat itself. It repeats as a result of trying something new, at least new to you. Aristotle was correct when he said, " republics decline into democracies" and if you are paying attention you can see that happening right now.
Old dreams are persistent things, visiting every generation in turn. It is only the reaction to those dreams that changes. It is the recognition of those dreams that drives that reaction. Yes, we would all like be treated equally. That's never going to happen, it's a dream. For it is like I have pointed out in the past, everyone wants to be treated equally, until they are. It is at that point that entitlement and privilege's enters the picture. We are all equally guilty. We are at a point in time where that should be quite evident to anyone paying attention. We are using race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, financial status, where we were born, where our ancestors were born and indeed the actions of those from hundreds of years in the past as the "excuse" today for inequality. Will those things ever be eliminated? No, they will always be a thing.
What is the dream of America? America is standing at a crossroad. Do we stay the course or wander off in search of something new? I'm not thinking there is anything I could do to change this course of history. I am saying I can see the path we are currently on and it isn't good. It's not the latest administration, it's not the previous administration, America embarked on this course two hundred and forty five years ago. Our first change to the Constitution was the addition of a Bill of Rights. That had been hotly contested at the original conventions drafting the constitution. Why? Because the Bill of Rights empowers the people, not the government. You have to remember that the delegates to the convention were politicians. Yes, that is what they were and interested in holding power. That hasn't changed in the least.
For that reason I feel like I an standing at a crossroad looking for a sign. At the same time I don't think I will even get that choice. Seems like the politicians are now directing the parade. They are exerting more power today than ever before and calling it, democracy! The next change according to Aristotle is despotism. What is that? Many people think of that as a single person but it is not. Despotism is really just a form of government where that government has absolute control over its' citizens. That is accomplished in many ways. Control of commerce, control of your ability to engage in that commerce, control of the food sources, control of medicine, and fear. Fear of reprisal is the hardest to establish, the hardest to get people to accept. The best way to do that is by convincing those citizens they need the protection. The caveat, only the Government can provide you with that protection! You will submit to that authority or die.
America stood at that crossroad and took up arms. We gained our independence. Independence from what? Think about that. Just why did we revolt against the King? We have all heard the famous statement, Give me Liberty or Give me death. But how many know the meaning behind that statement? The liberty being referred to was government. It was government intervention in our everyday lives that was being contested. We wanted to be free (liberty) from that government oppression. The articles of Confederation, the precursor to the Constitution, sought to create a unified effort to fight the British, to engage in war as a unit instead of individual states, cities or towns, while maintaining the sovereignty of the states. The fear being a central government would become too strong and begin denying states rights. That is the liberty being spoken of in that phrase. Liberty, freedom from government oppression! Are mandates issued by Republics? No, mandates can be issued by Democracies, by the majority. Mandates issued and backed by government forces however are signs of despotism. It should give pause to any thinking man.
No comments:
Post a Comment