Freedom to Stand

When the Founder's pensively and meticulously developed the Declaration of Independence, and The Constitution, their underlying presupposition was clearly the existence of an Almighty, transcendent Creator. They wrote, "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 of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

Webster's Dictionary, 1828 edition, states that a person enjoys liberty when no physical coercion restrains his or her actions or choices (e.g., the King of England). Common sense, however, would dictate that peace and harmony can only exist when one's deeds are performed within the confines of prescribed boundaries (i.e., the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God). To do otherwise would create a society without order, resulting in chaos and anarchy.

The Founders wisely asserted, "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 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.

Clearly, no attempt was made to remove principled restraints. With freedom comes the responsibility to self-govern. G. K. Chesterton asserted, "Self-denial is the test and definition of self-government." Self-government is only possible when citizens exercise their duties within the confines of just law and personal honor.

The United States Military Academy at West Point (USMA) has three words emblazoned on its coat of arms. Douglas MacArthur codified those words for the cadets at the USMA on 12 May 1962. He declared, "Duty, honor, country: Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn."

Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, in his recent commencement address to the Class of 2016 at Hillsdale College remarked, "At the risk of understating what is necessary to preserve liberty in our form of government, I think more and more that it depends on good citizens, discharging their daily duties in their daily obligations." Daily duties within daily obligations!

In large part, modern citizens have traded rights for responsibilities, apathy for integrity, and licentiousness for liberty. Even those in the community of faith have chosen to embellish grace to include actions and deeds that test the grace of God rather than demonstrate it.

In America, citizens are called upon to keep the Government in check. One privilege extended to make this possible is the right to vote. When such a privilege is voluntarily declined or cynically avoided, a breach of trust occurs between those who pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to make this nation a reality. To vote is to exercise one's duty, to preserve one's honor, and to acknowledge the incredible blessings afforded by, and the sacred honor required to preserve this great country.

The Government is a reflection of it's electorate, To be candid, that reflection speaks volumes about modern American citizens. The current image does little to respect the Founder's model or ideal. Indeed, Franklin's assertion regarding keeping our Republic was prophetic. What was designed to be a Constitutional, Representative Republic has devolved into a democracy driven by minority interests, and ill-conceived, secular pragmatism.

No doubt, our Founder's, and revolutionary patriots, are rolling over in their graves as they witness an American citizenry that tolerates a Government that operates outside the boundaries of prescribed Constitutional limitations, checks, and balances. They provided us the freedom to stand and expose such fraudulent excess, but we sit idly by, allowing the political class to drive the agenda. It's time to stand!

Freedom & Faith

"It was the hard work of our people, the freedom they enjoyed and their faith in God that built this country and made it the envy of the world."

~ Ronald Reagan, 3/19/1981

In God is Our Trust

Francis Scott Key penned the verses of our national anthem. At the risk of offending some, I include the text of verse four:

Oh! Thus be it ever, when free men shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

This new blog will provide thought provoking posts to encourage those blessed to live in this "heav'n rescued land" to "Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation."

In my lifetime, America has gone from being a melting pot of men and women proud to espouse the American ideals of E Pluribus Unum, In God We Trust, and Liberty, to a hyphenated populace without any cohesive principles. The three aforementioned qualities have been coined, this author believes correctly, the America Trinity by conservative talk show host and best selling author Dennis Prager. Mr. Prager is perhaps the most focused voice of Conservativism today. My readers are encouraged to visit, and support, Prager University (prageru.com).

"When Free Men Shall Stand" will inspire action(s) to raise the voice of truth in the face of the onslaught of relativism. It will offer counter assertions to answer the disquieting proclamations of the progressive movement. Above all, this blog will exalt the absolute Truth of "Nature's God" against the errant untruth of those who seek its demise. This blog is not intended to be bi-partisan. The offerings will be clearly conservative, strict constructionist, and bound to traditional American values.

Comments are invited, so long as they are in the spirit of candor, intelligence, and goodwill (to borrow the mantra of Bill Bennett of Morning in America fame). Any comment deemed outside these three parameters will be promptly deleted.

The hour is upon all free men, and women, to stand! Join us!