From my friend Land of Middle Girth

October 15, 2007 - Monday

Freedom brand nuts: Now with more cashews!

Since the 2008 presidential election season started in January 2001, the lives of individuals have, no doubt, gone through a laundry list of changes. New lives have been brought into the world, while some have left (some before their time,) people have gotten new jobs, moved their household, married, and retired. Such is the circle of life. Changes will be made, and lives will grow for the better or the worse. Some things, however, should not change. Some people view the actions of the government in the past seven years or so as adulterous to the vows taken in various ceremonies, while others are hard-pressed to find any fault and either do not care or have forgotten why and how America was founded and what that foundation consisted of. The birth-pains this country suffered to create a new life in the form of a constitutional republic, along with the philosophy that the continuity of a government based on freedom and liberty, regardless of antagonism, is paramount, are long elapsed. So what was considered when our government was authored? Let's look at one of our Founding Fathers and his critique of the nations in Europe and what would help their governments achieve perfection.
John Adams was America's first minister to the British court when the Constitutional Convention was assembled at Philadelphia, giving him insight not only to the issues pertinent to America, but of Europe as well. In his writing, The Prudent Constitutions of America, John Adams notes on the status of the ever changing face of Europe and the liberties contained therein. Concerning what would make some of these governments better, that is more free, he stated "Commerce begins to thrive; and if religious toleration were established, personal liberty, a little more protected, by giving an absolute right to demand a public trial in a certain reasonable time, and the states were invested with a few more privileges, or rather restored to some that have been taken away, these governments would be brought to as great a degree of perfection, they would approach as near to the character of government of laws and not of men, as their nature will probably admit of. In so general a refinement, or more properly a reformation of manners and improvement in science, is it not unaccountable that the knowledge of the principles and construction of free governments, in which the happiness of life, and even the further progress of improvement in education and society, in knowledge and virtue, are so deeply interested, should have remained at a full stand for two or three thousand years." There is a lot going on there, but breaking it down you can see what is considered by Mr. Adams to be five general definitions getting as close as you can come, to paraphrase his words, a perfect government.

While I really don't feel your time is best served by reading an exhaustive list of my opinions on John Adams and his opinions, I do, however wish to say, in respect to the above quote: our commerce thrives, but on the stupidity and greed, perpetuated by debt ridden individuals and government, our personal liberties have been slowly eroded, exposing a layer of authority driven not by the written laws that define this nation, but by a philosophy of power and tyranny of men, and the rights of the states within America are there only so far as the central government permits, although our founding documents declared it should not remotely be this way.

After reading the above quote of John Adams' definition of what it takes to achieve proximity to perfection of government, in the past seven years would you consider have we moved closer or are we further removed from that desirable goal? Are we to accept the Founding Father's opinions of the role of government to be sacred, or should the definition be altered and conformed to the will of the current social climate or to how the members of our government feel it should be altered?

C. S. Lewis stated "One cause of misery and vise is always present with us in the greed and pride of men, but at certain periods in history this is greatly increased by the temporary prevalence of some false philosophy." The philosophy, or belief of the role of government, through the greed and pride of men, has been subjected to a false ideology that threatens to erode our foundation. Erosion can occur both slowly with a trickle carving over time, or rapidly with a swift, voluminous flow Either way regardless of the material of the foundation, if that erosion if allowed to continue, a void will be created causing a miserable life in the form of government.

Perhaps it is inevitable that time will corrupt all truth and laws, and erosion fueled by our pride will wear away at what once was seen as honorable. Consider the Law handed down to Moses, the Law that was considered good and holy would, years later, be distorted as evidenced it's interpretation and manipulation by the Pharisee leaders. The Author of the Law, after His arrival, was subjected to ridicule and persecution leading ultimately to His execution. One wonders how a critique of our government by its founders would be received by those currently in power or the apologists along the sidelines.

Asserting the opinion that the government, to keep it mild, has lost its way will illicit amusing responses and accusations from most people, from whom you would be considered: anti-American, a conspiracy theorist, communist, or a plain old nut. Personally, I feel calling a fellow American a nut for believing we should follow the Constitution is tantamount to calling a fellow Christian a nut for believing the Gospel. To do either is inconsistent with what you declare to be true. Would you consider a vegan PETA member who offered you a bacon sandwich made with real bacon a person who is consistent with what defines their world view? What, then, would you call an American, who claims pride in his nationality yet believes following the Constitution, the document that defines America, is outdated, and erosion to that foundation is a good step? A nut.

Currently reading : The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America By Roger Pilon Release date: 25 September, 2000