Freedom’s Guardians
Often, I have been called a cup half empty man. Maybe I do see the downside. Whether you see that as good or not depends totally on how you see the world. I am an American, born and bred. Freedom is my birthright. I arrived in this world with a full cup.
Today is Veteran’s Day. Formerly it was Armistice Day, the day marking the end of World War I. The ceasefire starting on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month was to be the end of the war to end all wars or so it was proclaimed. It was a war America and her Army was wholly unprepared for. From practically the ground up we had to raise, house, equip and train a force. A seasoned regular Army of any significance did not exist. Some of those necessities were not accomplished on American soil. In haste to get reinforcements to Europe, many Americans boarded the ships not fully trained. The plan was to complete training in Europe where many of them would fire a weapon for the first time. It certainly can be argued that the Germans had the best Army in the fight and were ultimately defeated because they could not match the reinforcements constantly arriving from America. They were defeated, but probably more accurately they were overwhelmed. I recall a Veteran’s cemetery atop the Koenigstul in Heidelberg Germany that is filled with teenagers not yet 18 years old.
Throughout our nation’s history, Americans whether conscript or volunteer have served as the guardians of our American birthright. Fast forward to the present day and you will still find highly dedicated Americans who want to remain guardians of freedom.
For the first time last night I watched the Republican presidential debates. I may look in again if there is a further thinning of the herd. Among those on the stage is the one who may pick up the mantle as a guardian of our freedom. The job of all presidents for much too long not wholly fulfilled. If our country survives intact until January 2017, and there are days when I seriously ponder that question, we must have a leader who is an unwavering guardian of our birthright, our Constitution, and the rights it guarantees all Americans. Such a guardian has been absent from Washington for many years and never has the light shined brighter on that complete failure than it has in these recent years.
The Veterans honored today have stood valiantly around the world against tyranny and the enemies of freedom. The progressive/communist movement inside our country has gone unchallenged for a decade or more. Looking at the recent progressive shopping list, they are dangerously close to their holy grail – taking away gun rights. Washington’s politicians are focused on their political aspirations, self-enrichment, the political party and practically everything under the sun except their sworn duty to protect and defend the Constitution.
Americans serving in the Armed Services cannot battle the internal threat to our birthright. That is the duty of every citizen including the Washington politicians we supposedly sent there for that purpose. Presently, a majority of Americans do not feel represented in Washington. One of the basic reasons for the American Revolution was an oppressive, non-representative, over-taxing government. It looks to me like we are nearly at the point where we began.
Do you truly want to honor Veterans? Get involved. Take your civic duty seriously. Demand the preservation of your birthright. Send citizen servants to Washington. Rid our country of career politicians who are corrupt to the core. Give the armed guardians of our birthright the citizen support and leadership they deserve.
© 2015 J. D. Pendry American Journal All Rights Reserved
Category: Politics
It was not Rome’s military that lost the empire. If America falls, it won’t be the fault of her military, either.
The only way to get rid of career politicians is to take the career out of it. Either use term limits or make it a volunteer position. Probably in this day and age, the term limit is the most practical idea.
Pinto, I agree nothing will change without term limits. 2 things I’m certain of, Congress will never seriously reform itself via term limits and the insanity of not voting for a congressional pay raise resulting in it passing automatically.
I understand your basic sentiment and I agree. However, keep in mind that Rome shifted from Republic to Empire, and with that shift came the concept the divinity of the Emperor. There are many things to admire about Rome, that is not one of them.
A rose by any other name…
Or, put another way: if Obama declared himself Emperor today, what would change?
Obama has done many, many, things that I disagree with, some of which I think were unconstitutional.
However, he is nothing like an emperor or even a dictator. We are doing ourselves a disservice to use such a broad generalization for a president that we don’t like.
The system is still in place to change the laws that he bent, and flawed as it is, it is the best political system in the world because it was designed by brilliant men (who were not prophets or divinely inspired) and modified over the years by people with a real voice in their governance, unlike any other system in the world.
“…some of which I think were unconstitutional.” I KNOW that Emperor Scrotum Shaver has acted unconstitutionally. I also know that Congress has been derelict in not taking him to account for his unconstitutional acts.
I remember reading an interview with then-Senator Howard Baker (of Tennessee?) in which advocated the volunteer aspect. As he said, the vast majority of people who can get elected are connected extremely well off folks – they should not need to be paid.
I also read where Harry Truman advocated investigating any politician whose net worth increased while in office. I can only imagine the uproar if they actually did that today…
I take public service very seriously.
So, I have a lot to say…
However, the chances are it would piss off several members of the forum.
And I really do not want to spend today, in particular, arguing with fellow veterans.
So…
Let’s just all agree we need to get involved in helping to build a better future for our nation.
Okay, that’s reasonable, Lars. I’ll even agree with you. Meet you here tomorrow.
Oh, I can’t wait to read your take on this one tomorrow Lars…
/sarc.
I think term limits in Congress would be a mistake.
Those who wrote our divinely inspired Constitution must have also considered term limits to be a mistake, as they purposely neglected to include that provision.
Sure, term limits will prevent bad politicians from continuing their service.
But, what about when a really GOOD representative of the people appears on the scene?
Wouldn’t you want to keep him in office?
Would term limits spare the truly good from the inevitable corruption brought by power?
Another idea: the Politician places the entirety of his personal wealth in a blind trust (no control, visibility, nor influence by the pol) and lives entirely on the salary and benefits of the position. Spouses and kids too, or they seperate for the duration.
Not 100%, but does it help?
And the chances of getting a really GOOD representative of the people are, what?
I’d say about .000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001%
If even that.
I say again, And the chances of getting a really GOOD representative of the people are, what?
I’d say about .000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001%
If even that.
I understand your point, but the way it is now, we have a class of political royalty in this country, of the worst sort. Term limits would do far less damage than leaving things the way they are at the moment.
Our constitution is an amazing document that was written by brilliant men and changed history.
It was not divinely inspired. If it was, it would not have included the concept that black men and Indians are not equal.
I love America, but the founding fathers were not prophets. Brilliant political theorists, but not prophets.
reddevil. You have supped from the plate of falsehood, as most Americans do when it comes to the 3/5ths Compromise. You invoke that original provision as evidence that the Constitution was not divinely inspired. I see a pronounced difference between something divinely inspired and what becomes of that something when men have their way with it, not unlike what happens to certain Bible passages that are bent and twisted in application and understanding for strange ends. The Constitution’s preamble does not mention a deity. Nor does the body of the Constitution, except one place: Article VII. And that mention merely refers to the date of ratification, using the conventional “in the year of our Lord.” Thus, the 3/5ths provision reference as proof that the Constitution was not divinely inspired is neither here nor there. It simply isn’t necessary. But if I were to use it as proof of some sort, I would use it for the exact opposite proposition of yours, that being that the hand of God was indeed at work in the Constitution. And here is found the great falsehood. The 3/5 provision was a compromise. If blacks were counted as whole persons, the result would have been disastrous for slavery opponents. The Southern states WANTED blacks to be regarded as whole persons. Why? Because doing so would increase those states’ membership in Congress. This had nothing whatsoever to do with the relative value of blacks. It is a great and unshakable myth that it did, that the original Constitution regarded blacks as 3/5ths of the human value of whites when it did no such thing.
So, the constitution was divinely inspired, yet they submitted 10 extremely significant amendments within 6 months of ratification? I guess God or the Founders must’ve had a bad connection, eh? Look, I know you’re a believer, and that’s fine, but please understand that these men were mortals who did their best to form a country (and did a darn good job since we’re still here) but did not have a batphone to the almighty.
Well said. The amazing thing about our country is not that we are inherently better human beings than the rest of the world, but that our founding statutes allow us to arbitrate our differences without outright war.
Yes we are.
We are what? Inherently better humans? The Nazis thought that too…how did that work out? We as a nation are no better than the sum of our parts, ALL our parts.
The southern states wanted slaves counted as whole people? CoughBULLSHITcough…doing so would acknowledge that they were equal under the law and on an equal footing with their masters. That would lead to giving them the right to vote, which would have enabled them to eliminate slavery…like they would allow that to happen. Slaves were regarded as property, not equals…
JohnE. Cough all you want. That’s probably what you did through your American history courses and explains why you did not learn the truth about the 3/5ths compromise. Well, you are much older now, I presume, and are able to learn for yourself now what you did not earlier.
Yes, Americans are better humans. I rather ran over the “inherently” qualification of that so that does give me pause. We are better human beings, yes, but that is not the same as saying that because we are better, we should subjugate others or rule the world. So, take that NAZI crap and shove it somewhere safe.
We don’t need term limits if we do away with the retirement system for congress people – they’d term-limit themselves. While we’re dreaming, we should abrogate the 17th Amendment, too.
Imo, the problems with congress and the fed gov as a whole are no one’s fault but our own as citizens.
Nothing’s gonna fix the situation for so long as we, the people, remain content to sit on our hands and just let crap happen.
Term limits and ending retirement benefits are good ideas, but the real problem is the mindset of people who get their claws into the power structure… or should I say, ‘sink their teeth into it’?
It if were only about money, most of these people end up with more than Moses and Ramses put together. It isn’t about money.
It’s about power. They go on behind the scenes, manipulating this, that and whatever. The only real difference between us and Caesarean Rome right now is that the Praetorian Guard decided who was going to be Caesar, and if he didn’t work out, they disposed of him. Caesar replaced the word ‘dictator’, which was the original designation chosen by Gaius Iulius Caesar when he decided to declare himself to be in charge after defeating the more popular general Pompey.
If you bone up on Roman history, you will recall that Claudius tried to restore the Republic and was assassinated for it by his own wife.
If you don’t want the Republic to end, then dismiss those who’ve been in office too long. Send them packing and make them persona non grata.
“Politicians and diapers need to be changed often and for the same reason.” – Sam Clemens (Mark Twain)
Those words are just as true now as they were then.
Term limits don’t need to be mandated. Voters have the option of “retiring” their “representatives” after any term. Problem is, they don’t do it.
First of all well said, with that said let me add my two cents, no maybe my two dollars. Because this is all about money. How much money can you line your pockets with when you leave the congress, the right vote on the right bill for the right company and when leave the congress you have a job for five years with that company at one million a year + benefits. Not a bad job if you can get it. To say there a bunch of weasels is the nicest thing I can say about them. And the bad part is many of these people were Vets them self’s. The smell of money turns a lot good people bad. Not to mention all the benefits they get from the government, or should I say from you and me, cause we’re paying for it. There screwing us over and we’re paying them to do it.