If the Foundations be destroyed.....

Do Americans Cherish Freedom Anymore?
By Chuck Baldwin
February 6, 2009


This column is archived at
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2009/cbarchive_20090206.html


I am often guilty of using the term "freedom-loving Americans." But I think
the question now needs to be asked, Do Americans really cherish freedom
anymore? I believe an argument could be made that not many do. In fact, I
doubt that most Americans today remotely understand what freedom--as
envisioned by our Founding Fathers--even is.

Freedom is more than not being in prison (although America incarcerates more
people than any nation on earth). Freedom is more than driving a car, or
taking a vacation, or being able to choose your place of residence, or
attending a sporting event. People in totalitarian regimes have, for the
most part, been able to do the equivalent of all that.

The freedoms upon which America was founded are outlined in our Declaration
of Independence and Bill of Rights. The first principle of freedom is that
freedom is a gift of Almighty God. As God is the Giver of life, He is also
the Grantor of liberty. This was plainly stated by Thomas Jefferson in the
Declaration: "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 . . ."

Ask the average American today, Where do our rights come from? Most will
look at you funny and then blurt out, "From government." And, of course,
this is evidently the same opinion held by most of today's politicians. To
them, freedom is whatever civil government says it is. Yes, I am saying it:
most politicians have a God-complex. And, unfortunately, it seems that most
Americans today are willing to go along with this calamitous charade.

Jefferson and the rest of America's founders, however, rightly understood
that the only legitimate purpose of government was "to secure these rights."
The only legitimate purpose of civil government is to secure or protect the
freedoms and liberties that have been given to man by our Creator.

Jefferson went on to say 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 its foundation on such
principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem
most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." In other words, whenever
government stops protecting liberty and starts destroying liberty, it is the
right and duty of freedom-loving people to reform or replace such
illegitimate government with a government that will fulfill its legitimate
purpose. And that is exactly what our forefathers did in the late 1700s.
Sadly, here we are in the twenty-first century, the descendents of some of
the wisest and bravest men and women in history, and we do not even seem to
know what freedom is, much less have the courage to defend it.

For example, we will work for 30 years or more to purchase our own property.
After having done that, however, the property still does not belong to us.
We are required to pay the State--for the rest of our lives--a property tax
(to support concepts and ideas that many of us find reprehensible and
detestable, no less), or armed agents will confiscate our property and throw
us on the street. Pray tell me, what is the difference between this and the
feudal system of old? In reality, none of us own any property. We are all
serfs paying the feudal lord. Beyond that, our feudal masters even dictate
to us what we can and cannot do with this property we supposedly own. We do
not even have the right to manage and control our own land. And yet, we
Americans put up with this illegitimacy and still have the audacity to say,
"We are free." Again, we don't know the meaning of the word.

Virtually everything we do and say is monitored by the great Nanny State.
Practically every service, every act is regulated by the State. Ask any
independent business owner how many regulations, laws, acts, etc., demand
fulfillment, and how many fees, taxes, permits, etc., are required by
various government agencies and bureaucracies before he can perform a single
task. For example, the federal government actually dictates how some
restaurants can seat people or serve tables. Farmers are told what and how
much to plant--and even to not plant. We cannot buy a gun, drive a car,
marry the person we love, or even install a toilet without saying, "Pretty
please?" to a dozen despots. And we still wave the flag every Independence
Day and brag about how "free" we are. Again, we don't know the meaning of
the word.

And the people who should be more "jealous over" their liberties than
anyone--born-again Christians--are among the first to gladly relinquish
their freedom. I know of hundreds-- perhaps thousands--of Christian College
employees who happily allow the school Gestapo to barge into their
homes--unannounced and uninvited--to inspect their private reading material,
or CD and video collections, and even their wardrobes. School officials tell
them where they must go to church, what attire their wives and children can
and cannot wear in public (off the job)--AND IN PRIVATE--and what amusements
they may and may not attend. I am not making it up. Adolf Hitler never had
the kind of control that some of these Christian Colleges exert over their
employees. And the remarkable thing is, these Christian employees would
still assume that they are "free." Again, they do not know the meaning of
the word.

And one would think that our veterans--of all people--would be among the
first to jealously guard freedom. How, then, can former and retired military
personnel sit back and allow the government they once proudly served to lie
to them, renege on promises, withhold medical care, abandon their friends
and family members still missing in action, and not utter a word of protest?
How can they allow their comrades-in-arms to sleep on the streets outside VA
clinics? While they were willing to travel halfway around the world--and
risk life and limb--to defend America against foreign enemies, many will sit
back right here at home and complacently watch while these glorified
miscreants--known as politicians--systematically strip this nation of the
very freedoms and liberties they swore to defend. Did they not take an oath
to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign AND DOMESTIC? If the
statistics I read are accurate, most veterans do not even vote. I ask, if we
do not know what freedom is at home, how can we fight wars across the world
and understand what we are fighting for?

Obviously, people who are receiving welfare, or other government handouts,
seldom complain about there being too much government, because they
personally benefit from the growth of the socialist state. This is also true
for many (but not all, thank God) government employees, of course. And
please remember that government cannot give a blessed thing without first
stealing it from someone else. Big Government is totally incompatible with
freedom. For that matter, so is Big Business and Big Religion. In fact, Big
Anything is incompatible with freedom. Even Big Cities.

So, I repeat the question, Do Americans really cherish freedom anymore? And,
if we do, what are we going to do about it? I believe that there are
specific and constructive steps that can be taken to restore liberty in this
land. (I will develop these thoughts later.) I further believe that there
are still millions of Americans who really do understand and cherish
freedom. We may be in a minority, but remember, we were also a minority in
1776. Freedom is laborious, onerous work. And not everyone enjoys hard work.
So be it. Let lazy, indolent fools wallow in their servitude. God will yet
see to it that there is a land of liberty for those who truly desire it and
are willing to fight for it. I firmly believe that.

Remember, liberty is a precious gift from our Creator. For those who fear
God, respect Natural Law, and love liberty, there is yet a "promised land."
We may have to do a little searching; we may have to rethink our priorities;
we may have to adjust our lifestyles; and yes, we may have to "pledge our
lives, fortunes, and sacred honor" in order to obtain it; but our forebears
thought it was worth it--and so do I.

As Friedrich Schiller wrote in William Tell:

"By this fair light which greeteth us, before
Those other nations, that, beneath us far,
In noisome cities pent, draw painful breath,
Swear we the oath of our confederacy!
A band of brothers true we swear to be,
Never to part in danger or in death!

"We swear we will be free as were our sires,
And sooner die than live in slavery!

"We swear, to put our trust in God Most High,
And not to quail before the might of man!"

Such people can never be enslaved. And I believe that such people still
exist in these United States of America. I count them my brothers. I offer
them my arm and my heart. After all, we are freedom-loving Americans.

Libertarians, "Conservatives"?

I stumbled upon a great article this morning while surfing my Facebook Groups. I am a member of the Conservative Coalition and am tired of Libertarians disguising themselves as Republicans under the guise of "Conservatism." I tend to find that the tenets of Libertarianism are far more liberal then those which support the Planks and Platform of the Republican Party. It is bad enough that our nation is divided by left and right, red and blue and now the only Party resistant to the liberalism that infects our Country is now being infiltrated by the Libertarian expatriates. We must not accept this in our ranks. We must rout them out and drive them from amongst us if we are to go forward in bringing this Country back to the roots of our Fathers. If libertarianism is to succeed, then let it do so on its own merits not on the backs of those who believe in Faith, Family, andm Freedom. Libertarians cry for the Seperation of Church and State, as for me and my house we sya,Faith is the Foundation For Freedom!

Marxism to the Right is a GREAT Article:

Hypocritical B.O. " ALL life is Sacred?",... No Religion Hates

Obama says faith shouldn't be used to divide

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is telling the National Prayer Breakfast that even though faith too often has been used "as a tool to divide us from one another," there is no religion in the world that is based on hatred.

Obama, in prepared remarks, said, "There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being."

Obama is also telling the gathering that the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships that he is announcing Thursday won't favor any religious group, or favor religious groups over secular groups.

He says it will help organizations that want to "work on behalf of our communities," without "blurring the line" between church and state.

The Beginning of Our Demise?

"For the first time in my adult life, I am truly fearful of what may become of a once great nation, known as, 'America'".

I don't make this statement flippantly, or in jest. We are fast approaching a crossroads in our nation's history that is unprecedented in terms of where this country is likely to find itself in just a few short years from now. The signs are posted for all to see -- and they are ominous.

One of the most troublesome signs of impending disaster is the seemingly total lack of respect our elected officials have for our founding documents, the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. This lack of respect is displayed from the President (Barack Obama) on down to local government officials. 

In Obama's case, he trampled the Constitution before even taking office by thumbing his nose at the provision that establishes eligibility to become President. Most of you are already aware of the dozens of lawsuits by various US citizens calling for Obama to prove his eligibility to be President. He could do this simply by producing his birth certificate. If nothing else, it would put the matter to rest and cost him all of about $50 in the process. Instead, he has hired a slew of high-priced lawyers to fight these lawsuits so he does not have to produce the document, at a cost most of us could not afford to pay for a new home. Does this even make sense to you?

According to the Constitution of the United States, Article II, Section 1, Clause 5: No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of 
this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States. 

This clearly spells out the conditions that anyone aspiring to that office SHALL meet. Not, "...could"...", or "...should...", or "...hopefully shall..."! No, it states, "Shall"! Now, I don't have a PHD in English, but I'm certain that the intent here is to make that condition mandatory. 

Unfortunately, there seems to be a concerted effort to allow this usurpation to take place. The mainstream media, our elected officials (save for a few), federal judges, and even the Supreme Court seem to be complicit. Why this is so, is a total mystery. But where it may lead us is not. We may be headed for a constitutional crisis--unprecedented in our history. Imagine the turmoil and confusion certain to ensue if Obama is found to be ineligible for the office. Apart from the obvious question of who becomes President (the Constitution does provide for that eventuality), what of any laws or treaties that he signs? Or Executive Orders? Or even awards and decorations? All invalid! Not to mention the rage sure to manifest itself in those who will claim that it's all a plot to remove the first black President from office. Will there be rioting reminiscent of the late sixties?

Our Congressional leaders are no better. Like the President, they all take an oath to "...preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States". Yet, they propose and support all manner of policies and laws that strip us of the liberties granted by that document. What most people don't seem to understand is that although the Constitution was written to establish the foundation of our form of government, it was ultimately designed to protect the people FROM the government. 

A good example is the 2nd Amendment. If you ask the average citizen to explain the purpose of that amendment, they'll probably say something having to do with hunting or protection from petty criminals and thugs. Yes, those are valid reasons for having a firearm, but most US citizens don't know that the real reason that amendment is there has to do with "We the People" being able to protect ourselves from the real crooks, our congressional leaders. 

I know there are some who will doubt those words. Listen to what Suzanna Gratia-Hupp, a Texas state Representative, has to say about it ( http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4069761537893819675&p ). 

Please pay particular attention to her last few words. For those of you who have never heard this before, gird your loins and prepare to be stunned! Warning: If you are an elected official, watching this video will probably cause you to break out in a cold sweat, and produce uncontrollable spasms. Watch at your own risk.

Another example of Congressional tampering with our rights is the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" which will undoubtedly rear its ugly head again now that the Democrats control Washington. The misnamed Fairness Doctrine is anything but fair. Isn't it amazing how liberals always seem to misname something when they're trying to bamboozle us? What the Fairness Doctrine is designed to do is to "outlaw" free speech over the airwaves. But, remarkably, the way it has been structured, it will have a deleterious effect ONLY on conservative talk radio. Imagine that?

Even at the local level, our leaders propose and implement policy in direct violation of our rights under the Constitution. A good example of that is Washington DC's former ban on handguns. It was finally overturned by the courts but at one time was the law of the land. 

Let me make this loud and clear for those of you who are apathetic about Rush Limbaugh or Shawn Hannity being told to pack their bags. Or about your neighbor being told he has to give up his guns. After all, you don't listen to those two "right-wing" nuts and you don't own a gun. No skin off your nose, right? Well, that may be true today, but you'd better get your butt in gear and start worrying about tomorrow. Begin--now--to worry about that time when they decide to outlaw your right to teach your own kids at home. Or to limit your ability to worship without government interference. Because, if you fail to stand up against tyranny in any form, you may find yourself in a place you don't want to be. Our liberties can never be taken away abruptly. 
They know we would never stand for it. However, they can be eroded. And that, my friends, seems to be the grand plan. A little here, a little there, and before long, a lifelong communist will feel right at home here in the (formerly) good-ole-USA. 

Alarmist rhetoric? If you think so, I suggest you pull your head out of your nether-regions. The people in power in Washington have a plan to change this nation. They admit it forthrightly. There is no attempt to hide where they want to take us. Of course, they hide the details. Or, they mislead and deceive us about some of the more controversial aspects. But, they also know that if they can get enough of the "dumb-masses" (say that quickly 5 times) to go along with their agenda, or not question their pronouncements, then they can essentially do as they please. 

Well, I for one, refuse to go like a lamb to the slaughter. 

What can we do? Well, we could put our collective heads in the sand and pretend it just ain't so! Ah, but that exposes the "arse" to all kinds of abuse. What about going along with the program because, "...surely our elected officials want to do what's best for the country". Do they? 

One has but to look at our convoluted tax structure or the never-ending bailouts and so-called" tax cuts being planned. Any thinking person has to realize that our tax system is a out-of-control monster that needs to be slain. I'll grant that all of our congressional leaders do think (although it's unclear what they actually think about). They alone, have the power to change our tax system. However, for the most part, they don't want to. Why? Simply stated, because they are not truly interested in doing what's best for the country--they want to do what's best for them. With our current system, they have the power to create winners and losers. Tax the hell out of those they deem to be losers (big oil and tobacco, big corporations, Pharmaceuticals, wealthy Americans) and give subsidies and tax breaks to those they like (agriculture, poor people, environmentalists, etc). Another system, such as one called the FairTax, has been proven to 
be a much better model for raising tax revenue without all the problems of the current system. Yet, most will oppose it. 

What about the so-called tax cuts? Sorry. That's an outright lie. A true tax cut reduces your tax rate so that you pay less in taxes. That's not what Obama has proposed. His plan is welfare. He will give money from the treasury (your money and mine if we pay taxes) to all Americans, even those who paid no taxes. Some may say, "So, what's wrong with that?" Two things. One, it's armed robbery. Don't believe it? Just try not paying your taxes. Eventually, someone will compel you to do so, with the power of government (including the use of force) squarely behind him. Two, this plan is designed to solidify the Democrat's hold on power.  

You see, under their vision of the future, there will ultimately be more who don't pay taxes (dependent on government) than those who do. Those who do will be "asked" to contribute an increasingly larger percentage of their income to the government to make up for the shrinking numbers who pay no taxes. When it comes time to vote, who do you think this segment of the "dumb-masses" will vote for? Those who promise to keep taking money from those evil rich folks and give it to them. 

Yes, it seems Benjamin Franklin was correct when he responded to that question about the longevity of this great republic thusly: "When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."