This Fourth of July was very hot, forcing me in doors for most of the weekend. After watching hours of History Channel specials on the American Revolution, the Continental Congress, the Constitution, and other great stuff I had some thoughts I wanted to share. The HBO special John Adams was also on, which I highly recommend to everyone.
The origin of the United States of America came in the form of an idea. Americans were and are not an ethnic group. We possess countless ethnicities among our citizens. At the time of the Founding, Americans were not a politically unified entity but a fractured group of thirteen independent colonies. We were not annexed or conquered by a foreign power and forced into union. We have never had our own king or emperor to unite us in fealty to one divine ruler. The thirteen colonies united around an idea codified in the Declaration of Independence.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
This country is perhaps the only one that was founded upon an idea, a brilliant and revolutionary idea. We “decided” to become a country, after much deliberation and debate. It was not forced on any of the colonies. The United States of America exists because of the people of those thirteen colonies decided to dissolve their bond with the mother country, and form a new political band among one another. It was one that had never existed before. They worked to institute a new government that protected the unalienable rights of its people. It was the first bottom-up creation of a country. The Constitution would institute that new government and give structure to the ideals laid out by the Declaration of Independence.
The bond we share is not the single solitary decision among a specific group of men two hundred and thirty-four years ago. We have reaffirmed this unity countless times. At various periods in our history, we have been fractious. It is the natural consequence of individual freedom that we openly and at times fervently disagree and debate one another. Yet today, over two centuries later we are still one nation and there is no sentiment among the people to change that.
The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are two pieces of parchment that have kept us united. Today, some point to the flaws of these documents to argue for transformational change and outright rejection of certain provisions. The Founding Fathers were fully aware that the Constitution had flaws. To remedy those flaws, they installed the amendment process in Article V. Our government has used this process to remedy the flaws of slavery, gender inequality, unequal protection of laws, and voting rights for men and women that are eligible for military service. In other words, the people, through the Constitution itself, have improved upon the original document of the late 18th and early 19th century.
Today, progressive leaders do not want to use the Constitutional amendment process. In fact, the progressives have intentionally circumvented the Constitution with the concept of the “living document” and through trite criticisms of the “old Constitution” that made slavery legal. The reason for this is simple, the States and the people do not share their ideology. Less than a third of Americans regard themselves as “liberal”. Progressives will never be able to amend the Constitution with their ideals.
Any person advocating change from the existing system can be considered a “progressive” but that does not necessarily mean their ideas will actually lead to political, social or economic progress of any kind. Progressive movements are prone to continuing past their achieved goals and driving either the movement or the country off a cliff. As Americans we must guard against this by remaining informed, vigilant, and hold our government accountable to their actions.
Liberalism is a term applied to most progressive policies when in reality conservatives strongly support a number of principles of classical liberalism. Modern liberalism has warped the ideology into policies of strong centralized government and centralized administration of all laws. These policies are contradictory to classical liberalism and in fact can be better described as “statist” or strong preference toward the power of the state.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and President Barack Obama are more statists than liberals. Every single policy they have promoted and enacted has dramatically increased the power of the central government to the detriment of the states and the people. Recent polls and surveys clearly show the people oppose this, but why do the states seem to consent to these actions?
Democratic governors and legislatures often support statism and are more than happy to pass responsibility and authority to the central government in exchange for federal funds, political favors, earmark projects, and promises of jobs at the federal level when their tenure in state government has ended. It is no coincidence that the states facing the greatest fiscal crises and have the greatest need for federal bailouts are states where the Democratic Party dominates the state government. States such as California, Illinois, and New York are waiting for their colleagues at the federal level to bail them out, more than happy to pass the buck.
These events are happening before our eyes and it is up to the American people to reverse this trend and remove the statists from power. We allowed ourselves to be seduced by the powerful and charismatic speeches of Barack Obama and the belief that President George W. Bush was responsible for all the country’s ailments. Had we done our homework and looked into the details of the Obama-Pelosi-Reid Government agenda, we would’ve never voted them into power in 2008. It is a mistake we can rectify in 2010.
Republics do not have a reputation for longevity. Free states have a tendency to collapse with time for several reasons. Sometimes it is a foreign invader, sometimes a tyrant seizes power, and sometimes it is the apathy and complacency of the people. It is not sufficient for a people to be given freedom and liberty. Freedom and liberty must be constantly protected and defended from the ambitions of would-be tyrants, greedy politicians, and misguided partisans. The people must be vigilant and active in its protection. We must do more to protect the source of our freedom, the Constitution. To do so we must support leaders that will defend it and oppose those who wish to circumvent it. Restore America’s Legacy aspires to do exactly that. The hope is that we will succeed in November and we can put this period of statism and ineptitude behind us.
J. Wesley Fox is the Chairman of Restore America's Legacy PAC. He is a recent graduate of DePaul University College of Law and has been active in local and national politics for several years. He currently lives in New Jersey after growing up in the Chicago suburbs. www.restoreamericaslegacy.com
Read More:buy Victory Instruments V-Circuit Chronograph Rose Gold Men's Sport Watch 5102-RG aaa eee,how to Louis Erard Men's 69219AA15.BDC84 1931 Analog Display Automatic Self-Wind Silver-Tone Watch With Blue Leather Band aaa ddd,buy Omega Aqua Terra Mens Watch 221.10.42.40.01.002 [Watch] Aqua Terra aaa ddd,Traveling Out Of Body,Top 3 Causes of Nail Fungus Infections,Top 3 Causes of Nail Fungus Infections ,Autran & Viala Men's Nordsee |Automatic Watch | Water resistant 30 ATM | Made in Germany,Traveling Out Of Body,Omega Aqua Terra Mens Watch 221.10.42.40.01.002 [Watch] Aqua Terra,Louis Erard Men's 69219AA15.BDC84 1931 Analog Display Automatic Self-Wind Silver-Tone Watch With Blue Leather Band
The origin of the United States of America came in the form of an idea. Americans were and are not an ethnic group. We possess countless ethnicities among our citizens. At the time of the Founding, Americans were not a politically unified entity but a fractured group of thirteen independent colonies. We were not annexed or conquered by a foreign power and forced into union. We have never had our own king or emperor to unite us in fealty to one divine ruler. The thirteen colonies united around an idea codified in the Declaration of Independence.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
This country is perhaps the only one that was founded upon an idea, a brilliant and revolutionary idea. We “decided” to become a country, after much deliberation and debate. It was not forced on any of the colonies. The United States of America exists because of the people of those thirteen colonies decided to dissolve their bond with the mother country, and form a new political band among one another. It was one that had never existed before. They worked to institute a new government that protected the unalienable rights of its people. It was the first bottom-up creation of a country. The Constitution would institute that new government and give structure to the ideals laid out by the Declaration of Independence.
The bond we share is not the single solitary decision among a specific group of men two hundred and thirty-four years ago. We have reaffirmed this unity countless times. At various periods in our history, we have been fractious. It is the natural consequence of individual freedom that we openly and at times fervently disagree and debate one another. Yet today, over two centuries later we are still one nation and there is no sentiment among the people to change that.
The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are two pieces of parchment that have kept us united. Today, some point to the flaws of these documents to argue for transformational change and outright rejection of certain provisions. The Founding Fathers were fully aware that the Constitution had flaws. To remedy those flaws, they installed the amendment process in Article V. Our government has used this process to remedy the flaws of slavery, gender inequality, unequal protection of laws, and voting rights for men and women that are eligible for military service. In other words, the people, through the Constitution itself, have improved upon the original document of the late 18th and early 19th century.
Today, progressive leaders do not want to use the Constitutional amendment process. In fact, the progressives have intentionally circumvented the Constitution with the concept of the “living document” and through trite criticisms of the “old Constitution” that made slavery legal. The reason for this is simple, the States and the people do not share their ideology. Less than a third of Americans regard themselves as “liberal”. Progressives will never be able to amend the Constitution with their ideals.
Any person advocating change from the existing system can be considered a “progressive” but that does not necessarily mean their ideas will actually lead to political, social or economic progress of any kind. Progressive movements are prone to continuing past their achieved goals and driving either the movement or the country off a cliff. As Americans we must guard against this by remaining informed, vigilant, and hold our government accountable to their actions.
Liberalism is a term applied to most progressive policies when in reality conservatives strongly support a number of principles of classical liberalism. Modern liberalism has warped the ideology into policies of strong centralized government and centralized administration of all laws. These policies are contradictory to classical liberalism and in fact can be better described as “statist” or strong preference toward the power of the state.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and President Barack Obama are more statists than liberals. Every single policy they have promoted and enacted has dramatically increased the power of the central government to the detriment of the states and the people. Recent polls and surveys clearly show the people oppose this, but why do the states seem to consent to these actions?
Democratic governors and legislatures often support statism and are more than happy to pass responsibility and authority to the central government in exchange for federal funds, political favors, earmark projects, and promises of jobs at the federal level when their tenure in state government has ended. It is no coincidence that the states facing the greatest fiscal crises and have the greatest need for federal bailouts are states where the Democratic Party dominates the state government. States such as California, Illinois, and New York are waiting for their colleagues at the federal level to bail them out, more than happy to pass the buck.
These events are happening before our eyes and it is up to the American people to reverse this trend and remove the statists from power. We allowed ourselves to be seduced by the powerful and charismatic speeches of Barack Obama and the belief that President George W. Bush was responsible for all the country’s ailments. Had we done our homework and looked into the details of the Obama-Pelosi-Reid Government agenda, we would’ve never voted them into power in 2008. It is a mistake we can rectify in 2010.
Republics do not have a reputation for longevity. Free states have a tendency to collapse with time for several reasons. Sometimes it is a foreign invader, sometimes a tyrant seizes power, and sometimes it is the apathy and complacency of the people. It is not sufficient for a people to be given freedom and liberty. Freedom and liberty must be constantly protected and defended from the ambitions of would-be tyrants, greedy politicians, and misguided partisans. The people must be vigilant and active in its protection. We must do more to protect the source of our freedom, the Constitution. To do so we must support leaders that will defend it and oppose those who wish to circumvent it. Restore America’s Legacy aspires to do exactly that. The hope is that we will succeed in November and we can put this period of statism and ineptitude behind us.
J. Wesley Fox is the Chairman of Restore America's Legacy PAC. He is a recent graduate of DePaul University College of Law and has been active in local and national politics for several years. He currently lives in New Jersey after growing up in the Chicago suburbs. www.restoreamericaslegacy.com
Read More:buy Victory Instruments V-Circuit Chronograph Rose Gold Men's Sport Watch 5102-RG aaa eee,how to Louis Erard Men's 69219AA15.BDC84 1931 Analog Display Automatic Self-Wind Silver-Tone Watch With Blue Leather Band aaa ddd,buy Omega Aqua Terra Mens Watch 221.10.42.40.01.002 [Watch] Aqua Terra aaa ddd,Traveling Out Of Body,Top 3 Causes of Nail Fungus Infections,Top 3 Causes of Nail Fungus Infections ,Autran & Viala Men's Nordsee |Automatic Watch | Water resistant 30 ATM | Made in Germany,Traveling Out Of Body,Omega Aqua Terra Mens Watch 221.10.42.40.01.002 [Watch] Aqua Terra,Louis Erard Men's 69219AA15.BDC84 1931 Analog Display Automatic Self-Wind Silver-Tone Watch With Blue Leather Band