September 20, 2010
Our founding fathers tried to warn us:
It is difficult to find many among us who are even slightly satisfied with the condition of our country these days. If you have read any of my previous columns you know that I blame both parties, and especially the long-term incumbents for their compounding failures to lead effectively over the past few decades. Apparently many agree since the most recent congressional approval ratings have fallen to an abysmal 11%.
I thought it might be interesting to share what some of our most prominent founding fathers had to say during the times in which the birthing of our nation was actually happening. Please read these prophetic warnings from over two hundred years ago and then think about what you are observing regarding the current state of our country. More importantly, think about where we are headed if we don’t make significant and ongoing changes in the future leadership we elect to represent our country’s overall best interests.
James Madison, 4th President, principal author of our Constitution, and the key developer of the first 10 amendments:
“I go on the principle that public debt is a public curse and in a republican government a greater curse than any.”
Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President and principal author of the Declaration of Independence:
“Never spend money before you have earned it.”
“The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.”
“I however, place economy among the first and most important republican virtues, and public debt as the greatest danger to be feared.”
“Take not from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned.”
“I sincerely believe that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies, and that principles of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding is but swindling posterity on a large scale.”
“I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.”
“I think we have more machinery of government than necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious.”
“Equal rights for all, special privileges for none.”
“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.”
“I have come to a resolution myself as I hope every good citizen will; never again to purchase any article of foreign manufacture which can be had be the price what it may.”
“Democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where 51 percent of the people take away the rights of the other 49.” (President Obama had a 53% plurality...not exactly a mandate).
“Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of people that these liberties are of the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath?”
George Washington, 1st President, and considered to be the savior of our country:
“Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder.”
“Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in the exclusion of religious principle.”
“It is rightly impossible to govern a nation without God and the bible.”
“The marvel of all history is the patience with which men and women submit to the burdens unnecessarily laid upon them by their government.”
Today:
The largest national debt and government in our history.
Elected federal officials with much better health care and retirement benefits than those they create for the rest of the citizenry.
Massively increasing spending programs designed to “take care of us”.
A government led by a President who openly wants to “redistribute our wealth.”
Almost one in ten of our workers unemployed.
Powerful lobbyists influencing legislation as never before.
Christian prayers, the Ten Commandments, Nativity scenes, etc. are not allowed to be displayed in public places.
American jobs and even entire industries increasingly being sent off-shore to make products that we then buy. (Hey, here’s a novel idea…why not reward companies with tax incentives if they don’t outsource jobs?
I think “we the people” must take action at the voting booths this year and in the years to follow to elect only people who have the ability to reflect the qualities stated in another quote from Thomas Jefferson; “The art of government consists simply of being honest, exercising common sense, following principle, and doing what is right and just.”
Surely there are a few hundred citizens in this country of over 300 million who have the ability to govern accordingly. Clearly those elected officials who continue to serve term after term, or blindly/selfishly follow party mandates, or chase lobbyist’s purses have lost this ability and must be replaced.
Our founding fathers tried to warn us…will we ever listen? More importantly, having listened…will we act? This November will be a great time to take the first step!
No comments:
Post a Comment