The chair back that Franklin studied during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 was, as he proclaimed, a rising sun – the birth of a new Republic. Now 222 years on, one must wonder if that rising sun is now a setting sun, erasing forever that boundless horizon of Liberty. The fact is, no one knows for sure what the course of this nation is or will ever be. Even our founders argued over it’s outcome. But I don’t think they ever dreamed that their posterity would allow their efforts to degenerate into the nation we have become.

I’m sure they would have thought that after so long a period of time that we would have this Liberty idea figured out and that we would be the envy and roll model of all human existence. And in some ways we are, but our potential to be much greater is being wasted every day. It’s not like we just started wasting our inheritance, we’ve been throwing away our liberties almost since day one. When you think about it, being self reliant is a formidable responsibility.

We each depend upon others throughout our lives. It’s in our nature, so to speak, to look to others for assistance and guidance from time to time. It’s a big part of being civilized, to band together to meet common goals and, really there is nothing wrong with that. By joining efforts we have created societies and cultures and language, cities and art and science and on and on and on….. But somewhere in that creative explosion we lost the one spark that pushed it all, self determination.

Maybe that spark is still there somewhere, but it’s awfully hard to see. When you take a step back and look at what we have done to ourselves, it’s a wonder that we’re still here. Not one of us has the liberty to make our own decision or to choose our own way. There is regulation or law or force to prevent us from fulfilling our forefathers promise and their dreams. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in laws – just not so damn many. Our laws should protect individuals and property and life itself, not hamper their progress. It is the individual life that is sovereign and our greatest documents state as much. We have Constitutions to remind our governments that the individual is the highest power in the land, but as we are human – that dependency thing pulls us back.

The problem with dependency is that it is far too expensive and one must give up too much for it’s protection. Dependents give up Liberty – Freedom – Choice – Thought – Speech – and through taxation, the Fruits of their Labor. We have become the very society our revolutionary forefathers rebelled against. I can go on and on about the abuses of power we have allowed our governments to inflict upon us but, what’s the point. Most of us don’t even know we are being abused and would run to government’s protective hem at the slightest hint of having to solve a problem on our own.

That’s why this debate we’re having in this country today is so poignant. No one knows which way to run it seems, and our trust has been burned away. Politicians and talking heads have smoked the air with so much confusion that we can’t see our way. Societal leeches are clinging to every appendage sucking the very life of Liberty from us all and I’m tired of it. I just want to be left alone. I don’t want to have to fend off government at every turn and every aspect of my life. Government has become overbearing and onerous in it’s dictates and mandates and it’s intrusion into the every day lives of the citizens it was instituted to protect.

If our governments cannot live with in their respective Constitutions (State and Federal) then we ought to rid ourselves of them, and lest we forget, our Declaration of Independence proclaimed, “…That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government,…” And really, where’s the loss? Our government is chock full of politicians and bureaucrats who by in large are just serving themselves at the table Liberty set.

To be honest, there are a few statesman and leaders in our governments, but they’re few and far between. Even in Franklin’s time, you couldn’t hardly walk down the street without tripping over a patriot or statesman, or at least it seems that way. But even he, the great Franklin, the bespectacled founder, had a hard time seeing a rising sun on the back of the Convention president’s chair, and he was surrounded by some of the greatest minds our nation has ever known. Franklin knew the heart of man and the nature of our nature, “We have given you a Republic, if you can keep it”, was all that he could say in the end.

I hope that we are not at our end, but you never know. I would like to sit down one day, at the table of Liberty with my friends and enjoy the fellowship of individuals free from tyranny and government intrusion. At least one day before I’m gone.

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Jeff Austin
esse quam videri