ALIVE AND WELL OR “A DISTANT MEMORY?”
by Michael Gaddy, ©2016, blogging at The Rebel Madman
(Jul. 21, 2016) — “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” ~ Mark Twain
Recently, I read somewhere that there were no funerals for the dead principles of Liberty. Obviously, the author of this statement has never watched a political convention. Where else can one see an event which costs millions upon millions of dollars where all the political celebrities make an appearance and their words are applauded to the rafters time after time, yet the founding principles established by our founders along with the reasons which buttress those principles are never mentioned?
Americans labor falsely under the insane belief they live in the “land of the free and the home of the brave.” I believe author Richard Kegley was correct when he stated, “…with respect to the government and union of states… [this] has led to the greatest confidence game ever played in the history of man. Most everything you believe about your ‘country’ is a lie or is at least factually incorrect. Because arguably, you do not live in a Republic, you are not a citizen of one, and you have no God given unalienable rights under your current citizenship status, rather you have civil rights given by and at the whim of the present government.” ~ U.S. of A vs U.S. The loss of legal memory of the American State by Kegley, Henderson, Wahler, HKW Publishing, 2006.
Possibly nowhere can the absolute proof of this statement be better found than in perusing what is called “social media.” Using a nom de plume, I spent several hours in recent weeks browsing through the posts of people who claim to love this country and honor its founding principles (self-proclaimed conservatives). Once I read their posts or statements, which in many instances were just repeats or “likes” of what others had posted, I would simply ask a relevant question. What is relevant to me was obviously not relevant to others. The axiom that insults are the arguments of those who have no answers was many times the dominant theme of my correspondence with these “patriotic” folk.
One person had gone into detail about his anger when he learned that Hillary Clinton had not been put under oath when she was questioned concerning her email server irregularities. Hillary is nothing if not cunning. She remembers her husband and former president was disbarred for lying under oath. A politician can stand and lie openly to the American people with few problems (I did not have sex with that woman) but being placed under oath is somewhat more restrictive (at least it used to be). Seeing how angry this man was about the FBI not placing Hillary under oath, I dared ask him if he was as equally disturbed when George W. Bush and VP Dick Cheney refused to testify under oath to the 9/11 Commission? Oops, I should not have gone there, for his almost immediate response was to “get that liberal crap out of here” followed by a barrage of invectives that I will not repeat on this medium. He became even more upset when I asked him if he believed the truth was “liberal crap.” Oh, the conflicted state of the conservative mind.
I also happened upon a group of folks who were posting comments about the wonderful “democracy” that is our government and its advantages over all the others. When I asked how they justified their love of “our democracy” with the unassailable fact that our founders despised a democracy and provided quotes from John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and even included Karl Marx’s quote that “democracy was the road to Socialism,” I got nothing—nothing but crickets—at least they didn’t hurl insults.
I became nauseous with all the adoration and praise for the “thin blue line” and how these people put their lives on the line every day for others and how their jobs are so dangerous. Of course, these folks were not interested in the fact being a police officer in this country does not even rank in the top ten most dangerous professions according to the US Department of Labor Statistics. Garbage collectors, farmers, and ranchers are at greater risk.
There was a picture of a large cop of the black persuasion wearing a “T” shirt which said, “the police are here to protect your *** not to **** it.” Got just one comment when I stated I didn’t want them to protect me, I would handle that myself and also questioned if this could have been one of the cops who went door to door unconstitutionally and unlawfully collecting privately owned firearms in New Orleans after Katrina, might have been with the FBI at Waco or Ruby Ridge or might have pulled the trigger on LaVoy Finicum in Oregon. More crickets.
One of those posting their “unquestioned’ support for law enforcement in America was puzzled somewhat when I asked if he supported the police when they enforced unconstitutional laws. When questioned, he stated that even though the police took a sacred oath to uphold the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, they were far too busy to take the time to study and understand what laws were or were not constitutional. He stated those decisions should be left to the courts. Oh, happy day!!!! This conservative trusts the judicial system, perhaps even Judge Posner of the 7th Appeals Court who one week ago posted this:
“I see absolutely no value to a judge of spending decades, years, months, weeks, day, hours, minutes, or seconds studying the Constitution, the history of its enactment, its amendments, and its implementation (across the centuries—well, just a little more than two centuries, and of course less for many of the amendments). Eighteenth-century guys, however smart, could not foresee the culture, technology, etc., of the 21st century. Which means that the original Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the post–Civil War amendments (including the 14th), do not speak to today.”
But the judge, once confronted with his blasphemy, said that his statement above was misunderstood and blamed it on his “lack of clarity.” One can only wonder about the judge and his knowledge of the English language. Can’t help but wonder what his definition of “absolutely” might be and how his use of that word lacked clarity? I also can’t help but wonder if his decisions affecting the lives of others issued from the bench are as convoluted as his weak attempt at contrition for being blatantly stupid?
Judge Posner would find many kindred souls on social media. They seem to be as confused and lacking clarity as he.
Of course, there was one man who claims conservative principles on social media who was full of insults but was unaware conservatives and constitutionalists should be on the same side politically. He was most disdainful of “historians” and thought the famous painting by Don Troiani of the “Boy Colonel” Henry Burgwyn at Gettysburg was a “cartoon.” This is the battle we true Southrons face when we know the truths of history and try to share them with others.
Another gentleman who claims conservative values stated his support for “Tort reform” in the battle currently taking place in Arkansas concerning the Seventh Amendment. This man is perfectly willing to dispense with the guarantees of the Seventh Amendment for expediency and what would equate to protecting the financial interests of owners of nursing homes in his home state as opposed to those who were injured at the hands of employees of these nursing homes. When I asked him if he disagreed with our founders on the importance of Trial by Jury and what other of our Bill of Rights he was willing to trade away for political expediency, I got no answer.
People, we in this country are in serious trouble if these folks on social media are any representative of the average “conservative” in our country. We have truly lost all understanding of why many of our founders fought so hard to provide a government that would protect the rights of individuals down through time.
One of the warnings of our founders we continue to ignore happens to be the dangers of a “standing army.” With the militarization of law enforcement at every level that standing army has grown significantly in numbers since 2001.
The late, highly decorated, Phoenix police officer Jack McLamb once said, “When tyranny comes to your door it will be wearing a uniform.” I’m sure the people in New Orleans who had their privately owned firearms seized unconstitutionally and illegally by members of law enforcement, National Guard, and Coast Guard and physically abused if they refused can readily attest to the accuracy of McLamb’s prediction. By the way, absolutely no one I asked on social media about this event, even when referencing the video vividly showing these acts made by the NRA, could explain why it happened and could guarantee it would not happen again. Hey, Southern Poverty Law Center, if it has already happened it cannot by definition be a “conspiracy theory.”
Going back to 1980, then-Attorney General of the United States Edwin Meese stated, “I think now the American people are ready to give up some of their Bill of Rights so that we can do something about the drug and crime problem in America.” The people have complied, the guarantees of the 4th Amendment are a distant memory and people are being murdered in large numbers every day in the inner cities of our country. Would this stop if we gave up all our rights?
Readers, the funeral for the principles of Liberty was held long ago. Liberty was murdered by those who claimed most to support those principles. Conservatives today are just dancing on the grave. Tune in tonight for the final episode.
“Every election is a sort of advance auction on stolen goods.” ~H. L. Mencken
And the most valuable stolen good has to be our Liberty and that of our posterity.
IN RIGHTFUL REBEL LIBERTY