I think the title says it all, but in case it doesn't, this post is going to make some people angry. I'm sorry if it does, but I will not apologize for my beliefs. I feel very strongly and very passionately about what I'm about to say. But I do want to say this: if you think this post is purely about politics then you are greatly mistaken. It goes far beyond and far deeper than mere politics. I also promise that I will not go on a "political" post kick, but there are some things that I need to get off my chest. So here goes . . .
This country was founded by men (and women) that believed in a person's right to fulfill their dreams. To build their lives themselves. To live for what they believe is right whatever that may or may not be. If you want to maintain your freedoms (either way) then you best wake up and pay attention to what is going on around you.
The Declaration of Independence states: "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."
Read it again. Read it as many times as you need to. It says that we have the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." We've been given that by God. Yet, as of late, I've felt as if these rights are threatened. I firmly believe that all men are created equal. But equality does not mean that each and every person is exactly the same. We were created equal, but we were also created unique.
My fear is that there are men and women that want to kill the uniqueness that makes this country so great. They want to bury the concept of "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps" . . . of reaching for something bigger than yourself . . . of fulfilling your dreams and working for what you believe. Those that work hard should give what they earn to those that don't. And while your at it, why bother to work hard? I mean if you don't I'm sure someone else can pay your way.
I know that for some of you this will ring true. I also know that for others, this will completely turn you off to this blog. When I hit publish, I take that risk. But hear me out before you click the little red "X" in the right hand corner.
I'm what you would call a staunch conservative. But this . . . this whole political climate in which we find ourselves . . . is not about conservative or liberal. It's not about Republican or Democrat. To be certain, I've had plenty of those arguments in the past. But this, well this is about doing everything we can to maintain the freedom for which so many gave their lives. It's about not letting ourselves be sucked into the kind of government control from which so many countries have fought for years to free themselves.
I remember being eight years old and watching the Berlin Wall come down. I had no idea what the historical significance of that whole event was. But to an eight year old little girl, it meant freedom. I hope and pray that here in our nation today we have enough sense to realize that a wall is slowly being built. It may not be a tangible wall, but it's being built nonetheless. It's placing a dividing line between Americans and their freedoms . . . between "certain unalienable rights" and the people for whom those rights were created . . . between us and "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". We've been free for so long that we've been lulled into a false sense of security believing that we will always be free. That nothing can really threaten our freedom. If we don't wake up, I'm afraid we'll look up one day to find that a "wall" has been built that forever affects not only our freedom but that of our children, our grandchildren, and all generations to come.
I for one won't hide. Nor will I shut up. If people hate me because of what I believe, then so be it. I don't ask to be popular. I just ask people to think . . . to avoid apathy . . . to realize that the decisions we make today will have far reaching repercussions.
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4 comments:
This is a deep point of interest for me... because I feel that there is a flaw or perhaps an omission in your reasoning. You talk about people pulling themselves up by the bootstraps, and I'm all for that... but not everyone can do that. The mentally ill and significantly disabled cannot pull themselves up. And the children who get caught up in the bad and reckless decisions of their parents cannot either. So, in a society of getting only what you work for... what happens to the ill, the incapable, or the utterly innocent?
I removed my previous comment because I sort of got off on a tangent, and decided not to do that. :)
In the case of people who truly can't, who are unable to maintain a job for a legitimate reason, then I think there need to be programs and a way to help them. But I also think there needs to be a point of personal responsibility. I've seen many kids from horrible situations come out of those situations. I've also seen others use their past situations to make them a permanent victim. I spend 8+ hrs a day working with kids in a low income school district. As a teacher, I do everything I can to encourage them to rise above their circumstances (sorry for the cliche). Some will. Some won't. The majority can if they choose. I've seen a handful that honestly can't. Those are the ones that I think we should help. I've personally seen too many people refuse to work because, "why would I? If I get a job then I don't get government help."
I fear the redistribution of income/goods. I fear our nation falling away from democracy, and into a socialist or even communist way of functioning. History shows what a disaster that has been. I don't think that just because someone earns more than someone else means they should give it away. If they choose to that's fine, but if they don't that's their right. I typically don't talk about our personal giving, but I will say that we give both here in the U.S. and around the world. I believe churches and religious organizations as well as charitable organizations should bear the brunt of helping those in need. I know that doesn't always happen, but it should.
Sorry it took me forever to reply... I got swallowed by life. Call me Jonah, the whale sure got me!
At any rate, I wholeheartedly agree that there are plenty of people out there who could work, choose not to, and therefore, by the estimation of general society, don't "deserve" financial assistance. But I suppose that's the part that loses me. What I mean is, we were saved by God long before we deserved it. Jesus healed the ten lepers, even though (as a part of God) He had to have known that 9 wouldn't even thank Him. He did it anyway, because radical love gives regardless of how deserving the recipient is or isn't. Don't get me wrong - I struggle with this too. It forces us to completely rethink our giving. If you know full well someone is going to waste the money you give them, how do you still help them in accordance with God's mercy without being taken for a ride? It's a thorny situation, but I suppose I'd rather err on the side of being taken advantage of (personally, not in terms of the larger system) than on the side of not helping and failing to live the love Christ gave us.
That said, I agree with you 100% that it would be wonderful if our churches took over all of the social supports. If we were caring for the needs of the poor and abandoned in our society, not only would the government not have to do that any more but we'd be showing these people the love of God and creating new disciples and winning hearts and minds to Jesus. Win, win in my book. I wonder if part of the reason that this country is drifting so far from God is because the church drifted away from caring for the poor for a while there. I know I, personally, had a long period of being very far from the Lord that started with being turned away by nuns when I ran away from home and begged them to help me because I thought my father would beat me if I went back. They wouldn't even open the door, just told me through the wired glass to go to the fire station. It took me a long time to forget that, and I wonder how many people were driven from the church by something similar and never went back.
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