In 1776 a little war started in this country that would eventually lead to the independence of several small British colonies on the American continent. Recently, I've had the opportunity to read up on it and I find it interesting to look back upon the writings of those who were living at that time and witnessing the events of the day. There were many interesting things said and much was recorded for posterity. There were a great many actions taken to try to secure freedom and liberty, to give birth to a new country and to throw off the oppressive shackles the government of England, not only the king but also the parliament, had placed upon their colonial subjects. I thought it might be interesting to compare certain facets of what was going on then to facets of events that are happening today. It seems to me that Americans are experiencing a rebirth of the spirit that gained us this nation, and that fetal spirit is being nurtured in the person of Ron Paul in his run for the presidency. I believe that perhaps we are becoming born again Americans.
The Revolutionary War was sparked not only as a tax revolt, but as an awakening of the human spirit in the persons of the oppressed and down trodden. I know that the main players in the war were wealthy landowners, but one need remember that these men had the most to lose. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin et al, were well to do colonists. They could easily have remained under British rule and maintained a well to do lifestyle. But these were men of principle. They longed to rule themselves. They felt King George was robbing them. They felt they had no voice in British government over how they were ruled and they wanted their voices heard, so they decided it was time to form their own government. But in order to do this, they needed the support of the common man. Without this support, the revolution would have quickly fizzled and these wealthy landowners would have found themselves in British dungeons or hanging from a noose and their families would have been left destitute. There was great risk in what they were attempting, and great reward, but they were not like the lords of England with great armies at their beck and call, so they had to craft a promise to the common man that could not be ignored. That promise was the promise of freedom and liberty.
The Ron Paul revolution has been sparked not only as a tax revolt, but as a re-awakening of the spirit of freedom and liberty. People are talking about these concepts again as a result of Ron Paul's candidacy. People are beginning to question whether or not they have a real voice in their government. Some are wondering just how oppressive their government can become. Some are beginning to feel they are being robbed by the government, that there is taxation without representation. When they try to protest they are shut down by police forces and shuttled off to "free speech zones." The government refuses to answer any redress of grievances presented to them. Anyone caught not paying their tribute, also known as taxes, are thrown in jail. They are forced to choose between giving a portion of their money to a government engaging in activities they may not agree with or not paying their taxes and chancing a trip to the big house. This kind of treatment of the masses makes many wonder just what it means to be free and if we as Americans are truly experiencing freedom. The masses of humanity are beginning to line up behind Ron Paul.
The American Revolution was fought with guns by a rag tag group of volunteer, patriotic citizen soldiers who had little to gain from it but the ability to determine their own destiny. The Ron Paul revolution is being fought by a rag tag group of volunteer patriotic citizens trying to spread Dr. Paul's message as best they can. Popular support will need to be garnered for this peaceful revolution to succeed. For someone like me there is nothing to gain but the hope that I can get government out of my life and so be able to keep the fruits of my labor and take care of myself and my family rather than having the government take a cut and give me next to nothing in return. For others there may be even more at stake, like a family member in the military. Still others simply ask that our God given rights be honored and laws infringing upon said rights be repealed. And then there are those who want nothing more than to see an honest man once again leading this nation. As more of the population hear these ideas, as more become aware of Ron Paul's stances and his unwavering voting record and his past principled behavior, the greater his appeal grows.
The battlegrounds of the American Revolution were the streets of colonial America's cities, the common areas of her hamlets and the countryside between these settlements. Smoke filled the air of such battles. Gun powder flashed and reports echoed through the forests, hills and mountains of the east. Blood flowed from damaged bodies and the gore was repugnant, but the Americans grit their teeth and struggled through it with a sense of purpose in their hearts and a certainty that eventually they would prevail. The battlegrounds of the Ron Paul revolution are much the same, but the fighting looks much different. Marchers gather in groups with their signs held high and congregate in public areas to show their solidarity in support. Bloggers and those who post to Youtube the videos the mainstream media refuses to show work tirelessly to spread the word in the cyber world. Freedom radio talk shows and alternative media discuss Dr. Paul's ideas and explain how they work to those who are unfamiliar with the true nature of such concepts. Detractors and most mainstream media ignore Ron Paul and his supporters, label them with uncouth names or spew forth falsehoods and half-truths to try to keep Ron Paul's message under wraps and the damage he does to the status quo candidates held to a minimum. Ron Paul and his supporters struggle through these barriers with a sense of purpose and a certainty that eventually they will prevail. No blood will be spilled in this revolution, but tired old concepts of socialism and big government will be exposed as the corrupt influences they are and the body politic of the country will be bled of such infections.
The American Revolution began with an idea, the idea that the people of the United States could dismiss the protection of the most powerful nation in the world at the time and take care of themselves in spite of the dangers surrounding the fledgling nation. They had this idea that they could free themselves from a tyrannical government and then govern themselves. The Ron Paul revolution believes in these ideas and wishes to expound upon them. These ideas can still work in this modern era as they did in the late 18th century. In fact, I believe they can work better. Given the chance, we, the people of the United States of America can take care of ourselves without the help of the huge bureaucracy that is the federal government. We can restore our freedom and allow the marketplace instead of the government to work to fulfill the needs of the public. There's a lot of work to do before this can become reality. Electing Ron Paul as president would be a good start.
1 comment:
Thank you, that was extremely valuable and interesting...I will be back again to read more on this topic.
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