Soap Box

"It is rather for us, the living, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us � that, from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of devotion � that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." - Abraham Lincoln

Powerful words from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address which lay the basic foundation for what the government of a free nation should be, duly elected by the people, acting in their collective interest and made up of regular folk from the rank and file citizenry.

They never intended for America to be controlled by career politicians and deeply ingrained bureaucracies who tax and regulate American industry into locating outside the country taking thousands of good paying jobs with them.

They never intended for politicians to use the treasury for their own personal piggy bank handing out entitlements and favors to bribe the electorate.

They never intended for the three branches to be involved in reproductive and matrimonial issues, to force any sect or denomination of we the people to go against deeply held religious beliefs.

It was never their intent for the government to regulate the heath care of the nation thereby confiscating one sixth of the economy.

Our government is not our parents, our conscience, or our task master, but rather our protector, defender of civil rights and level playing fields, our servant.

Politicians, left to their own devices will grab as much power as they are allowed to and over the last half century they have been allowed to grab much more than our forefathers ever intended for them to have.

Although use of executive privilege has increased exponentially under recent administrations, the increase under Obama will have the most serious and lasting ramifications - not chronologically - but in scope, dealing with issues our founders never meant for one entity of government to control, issues that should be far beyond the purview of any one man without the sanction of the congress.

Executive privilege should have imposed limits. We have a president, not a monarch and the opinion of one elected person should never over ride the opinions of the 535 persons who make up our House of Representatives and Senate.

Of course a lot of Obama's executive fiats have gone basically unchallenged by congress as there seems to be, if not a serious lack of courage, a serious lack of appetite to go against him and therein lies the real problem.

There has been a dearth of collective congressional will when it comes to going against a president who has the press in his pocket and willing to make those in opposition to his wishes look like Neanderthal racists who just want to stand in the way of moving the nation in line with Obama�s socialistic, European-type view of what America should be.

The Supreme Court is currently as it should in all fairness be, evenly split between conservatives and liberals with one justice whose opinion is always in the wind until the last minute when he votes to the left or right, depending on what opinion his deliberations have formed.

Though liberals would like for the court to be weighted in their direction and conservatives would like for it to be weighted in their direction, both sides deserve representation. However, if the court ever becomes weighted in the direction of a party which has the White House and both houses of Congress, the possibilities are truly scary.

It is the duty of the Senate to keep that from happening and therein lies the rub when politics replaces patriotism and senators vote for the benefit of the party instead of the good of the country.

So then it all comes down to just how much power we the people want to give to the government. Do we want them interfering in every facet of our lives, telling us which doctors we can go to, the curriculum in our schools, what can and cannot be preached in our churches and what constitutes "hate speech" and the penalties proscribed for it's punishment?

Do we want them probing into our private conversations and deciding which groups get preferential tax status?

Do we want a justice department who decides which duly legislated laws they will enforce and which group of immigrants go to the front of the citizenship line?

Do we want to live under the thumb of an oppressive, wasteful, secretive, bloated bureaucracy who attempts to control our every move and rewards unproductive people and penalizes productive ones?

Is that what we want?

Because folks that is exactly where this is headed and the only thing that�s going to change it is for we the people to stand up and say, "We're madder than hell and we're not going to take it any more. 

This next election, not only the presidential part but the congressional part is going to help decide if America is going to have a bloated entitlement program, a tilted Supreme Court, a strong and capable military, a robust economy or continue on the path of sloth, incompetence, profligate spending and eventual bankruptcy.

It will decide if America will continue to be pulled apart along racial and social lines or if at long last we can approach our problems with common sense and let the healing begin.

And how do we accomplish this?

Pray and vote, America, in every election for every office for the candidate you feel best represents your interests.

Then leave the rest to God.

What do you think?

Pray for our troops and the peace of Jerusalem.

God Bless America

� Charlie Daniels

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