Independence from Tyranny

As I write this blog, my country is celebrating it's 236th birthday.  Happy birthday America!  We celebrate today with parades, bar-b-ques and fireworks. Maybe a patriotic song or two tossed in for good measure.

Today I find myself reflecting on what today is.  Today is the day we celebrate the treason 56 men bravely committed by signing the Declaration of Independence.  If we had not won the war against Britain, these men would have been hung for their crimes against the crown.  Benjamin Franklin is famously quoted as saying "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately"

It is in this reflective mindset I would like to share some quote and thoughts on government, freedom and independence.

  

However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.

GEORGE WASHINGTON, Farewell Address, Sep. 17, 1796

 A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained in arms, is the best most natural defense of a free country - James Madison

 Americans have the right and advantage of being armed - unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms - James Madison

Do not separate text from historical background. If you do, you will have perverted and subverted the Constitution, which can only end in a distorted, bastardized form of illegitimate government - James Madison

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.” – Thomas Jefferson

"If once the people become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and Congress and Assemblies, Judges and Governors, shall all become wolves. It seems to be the law of our general nature, in spite of individual exceptions.” – Thomas Jefferson

 
Until Tomorrow - Melissa

Think On These Things...

I received a text tonight from my mother who was flipping through channels and ran across a story of a 32 year old young "man" (and I use the term loosely. dog and/or man whore I think is more apt) who had already fathered 30 children with 11 different women.  A number of thoughts came to mind based on this information.  I have to wonder how this "man" is still alive.  You know with 11 women, there has to be some lying and or cheating going on, which I would be lead to believe at least one woman has been wronged.  You know the saying "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned".

After one thinks through the freak show nature of this "news", I think about the current state of TV and the so called "news".  Admittedly, I don't watch a lot of TV.  I find most of it is not worth watching and therefore does no deserve my precious time (and time is precious, you can never make more).  I am disgusted by the train wrecks known as reality TV.  I don't know about you, but I live in reality.  I don't need to watch it on TV.  If I want reality, I live my life.  If I watch TV, I need it to be entertaining.  Entertainment to me is something funny (Big Bang Theory), something fantastic ( Star Trek) or a good drama (NCIS, Downton Abbey).  I will also watch if the show is uplifting (Undercover Boss).  You don't even want to get me started on the sad state of affairs the "news" is.

I don't understand why we give our time to the freak shows, to trash , to people behaving badly (the proceeding statement is rhetorical, I know it's about ratings).  We don't get time back, why are we squandering it on the lowest common denominator?  Why do we allow network executives to convince us this is entertaining?  You have control over what's on TV.  If no one watches, the network executives will put something else on.

Why isn't the hard working mom or dad who works all day and then comes home to actually parent (spend time with, read to, etc.) their children on TV?  Why isn't the young neighbor who helps the elderly neighbor on TV?  Why isn't the person who aids a stranger in a moment of distress on TV?  I will tell you why.  These activities are "boring" and "normal" (although I'm not so sure about the normal anymore).  I wonder what would happen if our society started to give attention to every day heroes instead of societal fringe.  Why do we reward bad behavior with attention?

Let me share with you piece of information I learned as a child.  "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." That is Philippians 4:8 (NLT)  Regardless of you religious stance, I do not believe Philippians 4:8 is anything but good advice.  What would this world be like if everyone of us focused on the positive?  What would happen if we encouraged each other and praised the every day heroes?  I believe this world would be a much better place.  

Mahatma Gandhi said “Be the change you want to see in the world.”  Gandhi is right, I have to be the change I want to see.  Will you join me?  Think on these things...

Until Tomorrow - Melissa