Revolution?

I was born an American; I will live an American; I shall die an American; and I intend to perform the duties incumbent upon me in that character to the end of my career. I mean to do this with absolute disregard of personal consequences. What are the personal consequences? What is the individual man, with all the good or evil which may befall a great country, and in the midst of great transactions which concern that country's fate? Let the consequences be what they will, I am careless. No man can suffer too much, and no man can fall too soon, if he suffer, or if he fall, in the defense of the liberties and constitution of his country.

Daniel Webster

In the course of roaming the internet, I often come across webpages that discuss “The Second American Revolution” or the “Coming Revolution”. (I rather prefer “The coming revolution” myself, as like most history buffs I consider the Civil War to have been our second revolution.) Usually these articles range from purely fictional stories to some “way out” radical right wing stuff, and I look at them accordingly. Occasionally however I’ll find an article on the subject that is factual, well thought out, and certainly to the point. Fortunately for all concerned, these articles don’t promote an armed revolution, as that’s all highly illegal, and would soon have everybody in the government coming down on the authors head, with a long stretch in jail as their end goal. Besides, an armed rebellion against the US government in this day and age of professional armies and high-tech weaponry is probably a really good way to commit suicide!

However, there is a way to go about having a full scale rebellion, throwing the present government out on their ears, that is all perfectly legal! And that would be what’s presently called a “Voters Rebellion”. I’m more convinced every day that a much needed voter revolution is brewing, and I certainly hope that it will happen in whatever’s left of my lifetime. The cause of this rebellion can be seen all around us. It can be seen in our ever increasing national debt. It can be seen in the ever increasing taxes that never seem to catch up with that debt. It can be seen in our government’s misuse of our laws. It can be seen in our courts interpreting the constitution in whatever manner they happen to see fit at the time. It can be seen in the increase arbitrary government rules and regulations that have the effect of law. It can be seen in the everyday lack of common sense displayed by our “leaders”. Worst of all it can be seen in the mad dash towards socialism we see promoted by our intelligentsia and followed by our politicians. The birth pains of this voter revolution can be seen through the current political polarities. It was felt through the surge of the constitutional community in supporting Rep. Ron Paul. It was felt in evangelicals' and conservatives' frustration with the election of our current president. It was felt in the response to John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin for his vice-presidential candidate. It was felt in our recent nearly unanimous disapproval rating of Congress. America does have some good congressmen of course, but those good politicians are few and far between. The majority of them desperately need to be replaced, which isn’t going to happen until Americans get their act together! Such a revolution would bring in politicians who will make sweeping changes, and who are genuinely committed to the America established by our Founders. They would defend our nation and our civil rights, cut government waste, stop pork-barrel spending, reject political perks, dump the lobbyists, quit borrowing from other countries, put an end to our amateur attempts at nation building, reduce the flow of government aid overseas, and bring back pride in America.

Far to many people will jump on the idea of a voter rebellion with the question “Why do we need a voter revolution?” To which the simple answer is “To save our nation as we know it.” We have a choice of course. We can, as a free nation and a free people go quietly into the night, or we can stand up and fight. Our Constitution and our way of life are under attack by the same men who have sworn to uphold it. Many of these men are the same people who did their best to tear down our country in their youth, and who, with their socialist/totalitarian goals unchanged, now promote themselves as the best to lead us into the new millennia (with themselves as the new age rulers of course). These are evil men, whose only goal is the accumulation of position, wealth, and personal power. They lead impressionable youth with vague promises of a utopian world where everyone “shares equally”, disregarding the fallacy of such socialistic claims. And our youth knows no better. The political left is betting on the American people being so cowed by the fear of poverty, befuddled by the incessant demands of modern life, and so consumed by the desire for personal security, that we will go along with this socialist agenda. Now, before it’s to late, is the time for all Americans to stand up and show these people that we will sell neither our personal liberty nor the greatness of our nation. In his Inaugural Address, Thomas Jefferson told us: “Let us, then, fellow citizens, unite with one heart and one mind. Let us restore to social intercourse that harmony and affection without which liberty and even life itself are but dreary things. And let us reflect that, having banished from our land that religious intolerance under which mankind so long bled and suffered, we have yet gained little if we countenance a political intolerance as despotic, as wicked, and capable of as bitter and bloody persecutions.”

There are three common-sense steps toward a voter revolution: First, examine the doings of your representatives and ask yourself: Do they represent the people? Do they have the type of character that can resist the temptations of political power and special interest groups? Secondly, if your answer is "no", get them out of office. Call them by name and explain to people why they should be ousted. Third, fight to elect solid, reputable, law-abiding, Constitution-honoring representatives. A politician's personal honor and integrity must be above reproach, whereupon they are far more likely to do what they've promised. In May of 1770, British orator Edmund Burke stated “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing”. Words that we would do well to remember today. Evil has flourished in this nation for far too long. It's well past time that “we the people” join hands and rise up in another revolution, not just sit back and hope everything turns out OK.

"We the people are the rightful master of both congress and the courts - not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution." - Abraham Lincoln