The Beginning of the End as We Know It

Our country teeters on the edge of oblivion, stuck between an existence of relative freedom and total governmental control. We the people have gladly given up our rights as we stroll along day to day, watching out for the most important person in our lives; ourselves. Why is it that each of us chooses to place possible protection over freedom daily?

It started originally before the Civil War. The southern states decided to resist against the outrageous tariffs being placed upon them by the northern states and seceded. The federalist government under Abraham Lincoln decided to complete the consolidation of power and illegally declared war against these states. You see history is a fluid thing, especially the history of these United States. We tend to believe that the real reason for this illegal war was to free slaves. Economically one can see (if one takes the time to look past the race issue) that slavery was destined to disappear in the United States. The original reason for the secession of the Southern Confederate States was the tariffs, not slavery. As a country we took it upon ourselves to kill our neighbors and family members following a man that was merely giving more power to the government, we gave up our largest freedom in trade for an ideal that was unnecessary in the end.

Skip ahead a few years and you have Wilson and his League of Nations. Another organization bent on taking power from the individual and placing this control in the hands of leaders who were using it to enrich themselves. Than World War II came about, leading us to yet more problems and opportunities for the government to further consolidate control. The United Nations was formed leading to even more centralized governmental control of individual rights.

Post depression era United States provided the perfect opportunity for a president to initiate the worst program ever to be placed into effect in this country. The Social Security administration was formed. As a result, an entire generation was raised understanding that the government would take care of them when they got old. This reliance on the government created a generation of active voters that are willing to trade every freedom they have for the thought of comfort in their old age. It created a dependence that should never have existed in this country upon a government that was never meant to have the power it does. With the coming years came more programs meant for one specific purpose, to give power to the government and take it from the people by merely allowing these people to believe that they were in danger.

The Red (communist) scare galvanized people behind a religion and government effort that effectively changed the entire course of this countries history. The words "Under God" were inserted in many national documents and found its way (due to legislation in the 1950's) onto our money as well, and yet another entire generation was raised believing that this was the way it originally was.

Than we saw the cultural revolution of the 1960's, it was a time of upheaval and major change. Drugs and sex became something to be accepted by everyone except the generation before. Major upheavals occurred and as a result, we see the modern day Politically Correct movement. However, for every change more freedoms were sacrificed.

Now we have those who would see us lose our right to retain and bear arms, the principle right of a free man is the ability to defend him. In addition, there are those people that would see this right abolished. Why is this?

Benjamin Franklin clearly stated in 1755 "those that would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

Thomas Jefferson stated, "The constitutions of most of our States assert that all power is inherent in the people...that it is their right and DUTY to be armed."

For in his words yet again, "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants"

We give away our freedoms and we expect something that no man can guarantee to individuals, safety from the elements, and from other potential terrorist threats etc. Only a moron can assume that a government will care about each "individual" person. They cannot and they will not. For truly a government's proper role (if it is of the people) is to care for the GENERAL well being of the people.

Our government is failing, and has failed. Special interests and corporations control the money, and votes. Nothing is being done for the wellbeing of the people of this country and everything is being done for every other country in this world. More money is being spent to fix countries across the globe than is being spent in our social security programs, (which for the record I dislike). We have homeless children and adults (some are just lazy but not all) across these United States and yet we want to care for those in Iraq and Africa. We have riots, and overburdened prisons, we have people dying of cancer etc. This country has given up on itself and the people are just too blind to see it.

One last quote and I will leave you today, Thomas Jefferson "Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition." This simply put means that by creating dependence on itself our government has taken over the power that once belonged to the people.

Goodbye freedoms only our inaction as a people has allowed this to happen.