LIBERTY LOST : LIBERTY 1 (PART II)


Our Founders, being oppressed by tyranny for generations, understood one amazing reality that we take utterly for granted today; they understood the unalienable rights of the individual. Unalienable because they derived not by any institution of government or man. They are natural, because from birth we have the capacity to think, we have opinions about all things, and we desire to express those opinions. This is what creates our individualism. We naturally have thought processes and a desire, because we are relational, to share them. Due to the fact that our founders witnessed and experienced the suppressing of these natural rights by tyranny, the first amendment was written into the Bill of Rights. It is not a “positive” document in the sense that it states what you can do. It does not state “All citizens can speak and express opinions”, rather it is negative, it states the restriction of the governments involvement. It is natural for man to think of ones existence (who am I? where did I come from?), therefore, it states, “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”.  This produces a Liberty of religion. I am a horse person, and when I work with my horse “at liberty” I work the horse without constraints. The same is true here. It is stated that the Congress may not “constrain” We The People in regards to religion. It is also natural for one to express their opinions with others in verbal conversation and in print to the masses, therefore, it is written that “Congress shall make no law prohibiting or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press”. This produces a liberty in individual expression. It is recognized also as natural that a social people desire to group in like mindedness for any cause or entertainment, therefore, it is written that “Congress shall make no law respecting, prohibiting or abridging the right of the people peaceably to assemble”. This produces the liberty to congregate in any and all forms. Lastly, it is also natural that a people when wronged desire to express that wrong and take measures for those wrongs be righted, therefore, it is written that “Congress shall make no law respecting, prohibiting or abridging the right of the people to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”. This produces the liberty to create, distribute, promote and return to our representatives our grievances of  articles we find unjust. This is all in the First Amendment. This Amendment is crucial to the sustainability of our Republic. Without the declaration of these natural laws, and the prohibition of  interference thereof, we are helpless at the defense of all other articles of the Bill of Rights. Like dominoes they will fall.

It is the silent usurpation of these natural rights that is most dangerous and present threatening. The sliest of forms is the attack on the individual ideal. This has been going on for decades, in our schools and by entertainment. Our children have been conditioned over these many years to conform, be politically correct, to not pursue excellence, to be like everyone else and to not stand up to wrongs or differences but to rather not get involved. They are conditioned to believe nature is greater than the existence of humanity, that their existence is happenstance, and that early life has no value to society. This conditioning begets a type of involuntary obedience that then places the individual seeking “positive rights” and surrendering, possibly unknowingly, their natural rights to the “Leaders in Government”; being convinced by this point that the Government will act in the best interest of the “community”. Remember, rights are derived naturally, and under the conviction that these natural rights manifest as our individualism, (something our Founders desperately wanted to be revered and protected) it would seem the back door manner to convince a free people to voluntarily surrender their rights is to first remove their ideal of individualism. A people conditioned to no longer think for themselves, act for themselves or speak for themselves, is no threat to rising tyranny but a welcoming friend.

  Franklin once said, ”They who give up essential liberty to obtain a little safety deserve neither liberty or safety.” His statement is ever so true now as is was then. We must deliberately think through the issues that plague us in society today and compare them to our Constitution. We must carefully examine our opinions to the plumb line our Founders fought to free us to. Be wise and aware of the threats to our liberties even if it may sound pleasant at the surface, and be cautious to not fall into the traps of political figure's crafty speech and empty promises.

In response to understanding our First Amendment liberties and the conviction followed to protect them, I invite you to unite with Stand Across America on April, 26,2014 and commit to STAND for our Constitution!