What Matters

I have spent my summer doing what matters: spending time with my family, vacationing, enjoying God's beautiful creations. I have also been reading as much as possible and educating myself on our nation's history. I'm sorry I have taken such a long hiatus, but I hope this post is worth your while.

As I have written multiple times, and as you are well aware, our nation is in a precarious position. That position makes this election the most important one of our lifetime. I'm not given to hyperbole, but I believe that deeply. Americans had become complacent and comfortable. To our discredit, we allowed the situation in Washington DC to deteriorate to where we now find it: huge deficits, rampant and widespread corruption, burgeoning bureaucracy, arrogant and dismissive "public servants", crippling tax burdens and an entitlement mentality. The good news is that many, many Americans are complacent no more.

As if awakening from a deep sleep, many of us realize what has been going on under our noses and that it must be corrected. This election is not the typical swing of the political pendulum, it is rather the election that will decide the future of our Democratic Republic. It will determine the very survival of the United States of America. The decisions made at this crossroads will determine whether we go down the road of slavery and ruin or begin to slow the Titanic Ship of State and then change course, before our inevitable destruction. But even if the outcome of this election leaves us hopeful, it will not be enough. Every election for the rest of our lives must be equally important. Those that pedal and preach socialism will never rest and therefore neither can we. We must be prepared to fight back this tide in every future election.

Unbeknownst to most politicians and establishment elitists, this election has little to do with political parties or politics. It has everything to do with the make-up of our government as established by the Founding Fathers and defending the Constitution with its accompanying safeguards. If we fail to do that, we will fail as a nation. What matters in this election are the principles that have set this nation apart from every other in the history of the world. What matters is this:

1) We are a nation governed by the people. The Founders were very specific and adamant about preventing a ruling class from seizing power from the people and had great confidence in our ability to govern ourselves. They were equally opposed to pure democracy, within which there is no protection for the minority. Unfortunately, our political situation has deteriorated to the point that members of both parties feel they are superior to the citizenry. They have forgotten completely the concept of "public service". This must stop. Whoever we elect this fall must be put on notice that we expect them to vote in a principled way. If their loyalties are anywhere other than with the people and the success of this nation, as established, then they should be removed. We should never let them forget for whom they labor.

2) We are a nation governed by the law. The concept of equal protection under the law was earth-shattering in its day. It had been exercised on a smaller scale in other civilizations and at other times, but never on this scale. The idea that all of our citizens would be treated the same under the law, regardless of their income, social or political standing, or any other factor is paramount. Again, we see in government offices all across the land, a group of people who feel themselves superior to, exempt from or above the laws of our land. We are steadily eroding this fundamental principle, which will leave the citizenry chained in slavery and utterly powerless.

3) The unalienable rights we were given by our Creator are those of life, liberty and the PURSUIT of happiness. This government was established to protect those rights as sacrosanct. In our political confusion however, we have been led down the primrose path of the nanny state. The words in the Declaration were neither whimsically nor accidentally chosen. There is a reason that happiness is not, nor indeed can be, guaranteed by the government or anyone else. Happiness is a pursuit. It is individual. Government should do everything it can to protect our ability to pursue happiness, however when it tries to provide happiness it necessarily infringes on our liberty. Our citizenry must be educated about the difference between happiness and pursuing happiness; politicians that don't understand that should never hold elected office.

4) The level of taxation under which we are laboring is obscene. The Founders would be utterly appalled at the size of government on every level and the funding required to feed the monster. Every time a new layer of taxation is laid on the citizen's backs we lose freedom. Whether the tax is direct (income tax, sales tax) or indirect (corporate taxes, utility fees, etc.), it always comes down to you and me, Joe Taxpayer. We are at a point where the only choices we have to survive economically are to slash tax rates and spending. Anything less will be useless. Taxation, as established by the Founders was never intended to fund research, pet projects, pork barrel spending, earmarks, the list goes on and on. The politicians will never stop until we make them. You and I do not live our lives that way, why do allow our government to?

5) It is within our power to change all of this. Voting is not just a privelege, it is our duty and responsibility. Iraqis risk their lives every time they vote, but do so undeterred at around 95% turnout. We take no risk to vote and yet our turnout has hovered in the 30th percentile for years. That is inexcusable and lazy. We must educate ourselves, our families and our neighbors about what is happening around us and take back control of our government. I would crawl on glass to be able to vote in this election and can only hope that there are many of us who feel the same way. I do have hope, but not the Obama kind. My hope lies in the inherent goodness of the American people and their desire to be free. Go vote in two weeks and help everyone you can think of to do the same. Then maybe, just maybe we still have a chance.