travis' brain dump

First off I hope everyone had a happy and safe 4th of July.

This last weekend I sat back and thought of a few things when thinking about Independence Day. It’s amazing how far we’ve come and equally how far we’ve fallen since that day back in 1776.

One of the things that I got to thinking about was how the words used in the Declaration of Independence spoke of things such as equality and rights to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” It also spoke concerning government involvement  in the affairs of its citizens, namely when counteracting those basic values and beliefs on which this country was founded.

After this Declaration, a Constitution was created for the United States of America. While a great start, there was definitely grounds for modifications and these founding individuals saw that and provided a means for it to be improved upon within Article V. The purpose of this Article was to benefit the citizens of this country by means of an adjustment process that  ensured those very values of the Declaration of Independence were upheld from that day forward despite any oversight of its original creators. This made it possible for changes to be made in order to further define certain freedoms and rights for individuals for an ever changing nation.  (Keep this in mind as there is a point to bringing this up, bear with me. )

“When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and Nature’s of God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to separation.”

“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, – That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying it’s foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.  Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.” – Declaration of Independence, In Congress, July 4, 1776.

These people believed so much that their oppression had reached a point that a declaration of their freedoms had to be made to the whole world. They would no longer stand by and allow the people of the Colonies/States to be subject to the “repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny” placed on them by the King of Great Britain. They challenged a nation and it’s armies for what they believed in without hesitation because their freedoms had been so damaged because of the actions of a corrupt government that they felt they had no choice but to revolt. Amazing. The courage it took to stand up and say “NO MORE!” and do something about it.

In reviewing some of the “Facts to be submitted to a candid world,” I came across several that really stuck out that made me think. I encourage you all to go read the Declaration of Independence in detail. In fact, there’s a GREAT site that goes over the points line by line to explain what they mean and why they were written. The site can be found at:

http://colonialhall.com/histdocs/declaration/

How many of these do you believe to be applicable to today’s government? In our own modern way, there are quite a few. While they don’t apply word for word the similarities are scary. It’s frightening to think about how many of our “freedoms” are slipping away piece by piece and we don’t even take the time to notice what’s going on. There are more government agencies in place today to “regulate” items than ever before with more being created right now. We’re being taxed for something new it seems almost daily that we didn’t approve of but was decided for us without our consent. Wether it’s directly out of our income or added onto the items we purchase, we’re getting it from both ends, out of our hands and our back pockets simultaneously. It’s sad.

The worst part is to sit here and watch the system which was designed by the people, for the people, be taken away Amendment by Amendment. We revolted once, among other things, for being taxed without our consent… yet Amendment XVI  states, ”The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several states, and without regard to any census or enumeration.” Really? *rolls eyes*

I will agree that I am thankful to live in the United States of America. Despite the crap we’re putting up with right now, we’re still better off than most, for now at least. My only concern is if we allow the government to operate unchecked as they have been (read my previous post on HR 2454) we are looking at a grim future for our children and beyond. Wake up America, this is your country and you need to take it back. Stop being a sheep following the herd and educate rather than accept.