Remember your heritage...
People fought, bled and died to establish a country founded on the principle stated 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."
In the history of the world, previous governments had usually operated on the principal that people under their control have no rights unless granted by the government.
The founding fathers of the United States of America rejected this evil notion and created a country founded on a completely different and unique premise. That all rights are inherent, granted by God, and unalienable (1). The government was not set up like those in past to dole out or grant rights. They recognized that they were inherent and not something the government had any right or power to grant. The US Government was instead setup to protect those rights of it's citizens, even (especially) from itself. The founding fathers knew the truth, seemingly lost today, that man is not inherently good, but inherently evil. When given power, mankind will abuse it. The founders built various protections into the Constitution so that Citizens would be protected from themselves or from a government or leaders out of control.
In recent years however the minds of the general population have been poisoned into believing many ugly ideas:
Like the idea that rights are granted by the government.
That the protections of the Constitution are ok to give up, as long as it's "for a good cause".
That the Government has the right to suspend, abridge, circumvent, or repeal these rights.
That it's ok for the government to violate rights to a) stop bad or b) do good
That "I have nothing to hide, it's ok to spy on me"
These kinds of ideas are NOT American. Not what the forefathers and the generations of soldiers have fought, bled and died to protect. They are the ideals of regimes like Nazi Germany, Communist Russia, China, North Korea, Fascist Italy, etc.
To quote Ben Franklin again,
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
THAT is American thinking. Don't forget it.
1. unalienable - a set of human rights that are absolute, not awarded by human power, not transferable to another power, and incapable of repudiation.
"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."
In the history of the world, previous governments had usually operated on the principal that people under their control have no rights unless granted by the government.
The founding fathers of the United States of America rejected this evil notion and created a country founded on a completely different and unique premise. That all rights are inherent, granted by God, and unalienable (1). The government was not set up like those in past to dole out or grant rights. They recognized that they were inherent and not something the government had any right or power to grant. The US Government was instead setup to protect those rights of it's citizens, even (especially) from itself. The founding fathers knew the truth, seemingly lost today, that man is not inherently good, but inherently evil. When given power, mankind will abuse it. The founders built various protections into the Constitution so that Citizens would be protected from themselves or from a government or leaders out of control.
In recent years however the minds of the general population have been poisoned into believing many ugly ideas:
Like the idea that rights are granted by the government.
That the protections of the Constitution are ok to give up, as long as it's "for a good cause".
That the Government has the right to suspend, abridge, circumvent, or repeal these rights.
That it's ok for the government to violate rights to a) stop bad or b) do good
That "I have nothing to hide, it's ok to spy on me"
These kinds of ideas are NOT American. Not what the forefathers and the generations of soldiers have fought, bled and died to protect. They are the ideals of regimes like Nazi Germany, Communist Russia, China, North Korea, Fascist Italy, etc.
To quote Ben Franklin again,
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
THAT is American thinking. Don't forget it.
1. unalienable - a set of human rights that are absolute, not awarded by human power, not transferable to another power, and incapable of repudiation.
posted by Tachyon at 16:16
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