STARVE THE FEDS

July 4th has come and gone; and by virtue of the 4th falling on a Sunday, many of us have Monday, July 5th, off of work in order to recuperate and, hopefully, remember. Despite that the first week of July is usually the hottest and most humid time of year for most of the Midwest, I’m still grateful to be alive and a citizen of the United States of America.

I don’t want to lecture people on how grateful they should be, even if it’s through the same people voluntarily reading this blog site. No matter how much I want to proclaim that it is absolutely crucial for people to possess gratitude, nobody likes being lectured to. I’ll leave that to the lecturers today.

I don’t know how military families do it. Today marks the first day that my family has become a military family by virtue of my brother-in-law’s Army re-enlistment. He just shipped out today to an equivalent of a “refresher boot camp” and is anticipated to be stationed in Georgia for around eight months or so. He will miss the birth of his daughter that is due this month. While the desire to support his family factored into the decision, I don’t see how anyone can say that any decision regarding joining or re-joining the military can be taken lightly. Ditto for firemen and policemen. It’s one thing to respect those in uniform for our protection, it’s another to be directly affected when it’s family. I’m not saying this to “one-up” those who are not in military families; rather, I’m just trying to illustrate the overwhelming feeling that comes with it.

I’m also not factoring in the way our federal government likes to politicize the military to make themselves look good. There’s a reason General McChrystal spilled his guts to Rolling Stone magazine – someone as detail oriented as a military general, I would imagine, would know the consequences of such actions. He didn’t do it for a publicity stunt, he did it to warn us what the hell is going on with our Commander-In-Chief. It’s nothing we probably couldn’t have already guessed, but he risked his career in order to build a case for that assertion. We stand warned.

I don’t go to church often enough. Whether one is a believer or not, there is no denying the presence that God has over this country. The Constitution was designed for a vigilant, moral people. Without the safeguards of morality, the Constitution is worthless. We would already know the answer to the rhetorical question that would follow Benjamin Franklin’s quote: “[We have brought upon you] a Republic, if you can keep it”. Whether one likes it or not, this was a nation based on Judeo-Christian principles that allows the freedom for everyone to worship whoever they please, even if it is Man. The precedents set by the popular interpretation of “Separation of Church and State” have it all wrong. It seems to give history revisionists and anti-Christian activists permission to try and wipe out Christianity.

Which brings me to this – why does it seem that Christianity and the Jewish religions are always under attack (militarily and/or politically) until they are extinct? When was the last time anyone tried to wipe out Muslims or Buddhists? Even with the violent history of Islam, history shows that Islam was never wiped out, just kept in check. Is this the battle between good and evil? Why is it necessarily to try and eliminate religions based on love, even if we tend to wince at some of the messengers and followers taking religion into their own hands as a means to judge others themselves? I am horrified that I let myself be hoodwinked by the anti-Christian propaganda for most of my twenties, even by bands I have loved growing up.

I’ve been unsure on where I want to pour my efforts since I lost the election last May. I’ve considered volunteering for the People’s Constitution Coalition of Ohio in support of their Soveriegnty Amendment. I’ve signed up for various candidates’ campaign information distribution lists. I’m still paying off debt used to fund the campaign (in addition to obligations I’ve had all along). I’ve devoted time planning a (hopefully) beautiful wedding with my bride-to-be. Being on the Republican Central Committee is a good thing, but meetings are limited and I’m too impatient to wait until the next meeting in order to attempt to make an impact. I’m wondering how the leadership will take the idea that I, among many others, refuse to endorse Republican candidates solely because they are Republicans. I’ll tell you something – when Constitutionalist and Libertarian parties are putting out more conservative candidates than the major party that claims to be conservative, I’m going to endorse the conservative candidate, regardless of political party. I have a nagging hunch that political parties are the major cause of the division that followed the unification of the American people as a result of 9/11.

I admire how people like Glenn Beck and various other organizations are studying various books from the Founding Fathers and Progressive Eras in order to shape their opinions as far as how to restore our country back to its original principles. I haven’t done that, and maybe I should. I want to start by re-reading the three basics – The Bible, The Declaration of Independence, and The Constitution. The Bible also doubles for personal reasons as well, as my young lady and I have contemplated loudly more than once about our walk with God and our worship.

As I’ve stated many times before, I’ve been publicly uneasy about approaching any subject when it comes to religion, because I’m not a good example for people to follow. I’m not a religious leader, I’m a sinner. I want to know more and dedicate myself more in order to become a better person, and be part of a bettering the community. I’m fascinated with the lives of missionaries that travel all over the world to spread the word about God. I’m intrigued by the idea that religious principles and political leadership are inseparable, no matter who may try to distort that very fact; because if there is no God to lead our government, than our political leaders become gods themselves. That may be what they set their sights on, but I’m grateful that many of our countrymen feel quite a bit differently. We don’t need dictators and oligarchies here, thank you very much. Independence Day lives on.