Home of Today's Common Sense

Published Brownsville Herald  -  March 8, 2009

On Tuesday, March 7, Texas celebrated the adoption of the Declaration of Independence at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836.

The basis for this revolution and cry for independence was similar to that of the United States and memorialized in part by excerpts from that declaration that passionately state that Texans felt most important that Mexico:

‘has failed and refused to secure, on a firm basis, the right of trial by jury, that palladium of civil liberty, and only safe guarantee for the life, liberty, and property of the citizen.’

‘has failed to establish any public system of education’

‘denies us the right of worshipping the Almighty according to the dictates of our own conscience, by the support of a national religion, calculated to promote the temporal interest of its human functionaries, rather than the glory of the true and living God’

‘has demanded us to deliver up our arms, which are essential to our defence, the rightful property of freemen, and formidable only to tyrannical governments’

I was surprised to find little mention in the media in remembrance of the ideals of freedom and liberty that provide the opportunities for us all. No where is there a promise of great success, just a guarantee of the opportunity to pursue them.  That was enough for those brave men at the Alamo and San Jacinto to give up their lives. That is still enough for our sons and daughters to do the same today but unfortunately we don’t remember what we have won and how we secured it.

It also seems that some of us are willing to give up these hard won freedoms and return to an imperial master to tell us what we need and provide it.

One only need look around to see our precious religious beliefs publically scorned as unimportant and ridiculous to follow. Similarly, almost daily there are attacks by the intelligencia and some government entities that would remove our right to possess and bear arms.

All we seem to do is wait for the government rulers to tell us what we need next and promise us that they will give it to us by taking the resources away from someone else.

A system where resources are forced to be provided according to ability and given to those according to need (except when they are the rulers and get what they want first), without regard to the individual ingenuity and labor has been labeled socialism in the past and failed miserably.

Like so many others, I grew up in less than affluent circumstances and still had many opportunities for great success but chose directions that were counterproductive sometimes so I achieved the level of success that I earned. Even at this time in my life, somewhat passing middle age, I still aspire to more achievement and work towards those goals. To me that is what life is about!

Our rulers, it seems, in order to stay in power, is trying to exercise control over our lives.

Even now in this time of economic hardship, and international upheaval they are trying to cause even more fear and despondency so that we will grant them even more power over us. If we continue with the politics of large imperial policies of the past Republocrat/Demopublican administrations and the royal bureaucrats that are supposed to represent us we are begging to return to times that brought on the Texas revolution.

I have belonged to and supported both the Republican and Democrat Parties but the Democrats ceased being the party of the common man and graduated into imperial socialists with policies dictated the “Royalcrats” the Republicans have ceased being the party of small government and become “Royalcrats” as well. In both cases many of the basic tenets provide the foundations of a Marxist Classless society where resources are supplied according to ability and dispensed according to need by the government.

The past election appears to have been a referendum on the amount of socialism and government control that we can tolerate. We are now watching trillions of dollars in payoffs that we can ill afford. While some handouts will find a way to those in need mostly the rulers and their supporters will be enriched and become stimulation from the stimulation packages.

Back in November I didn’t see many candidates, that would demand that the federal government act within the bounds of the authority granted to it by the individual states in the Constitution. There are now fewer representatives who will stand up for what is right and lead our people back to our roots of liberty?

It seems if one remains politically correct it only invites further transgressions against our liberty.
At election time, Natalia Garcia wrote a letter to the editor referring to the Democratic Party primary election system where “Super Delegates” crowned that party’s nomination for President with little consideration of the votes at the primary election. How much more imperial can we get!

It is no crucial that we as a people reject the politics of derision and embrace the mutual goal of returning our nation to its roots of individual liberty and personal responsibility. On this anniversary of the founding of our State, I ask you to join me in this.

Get involved and make a difference. Encourage new candidates with a passion for liberty run for office and challenge those who would rule over us as opposed to representing the interests of the people.

Begin by helping clean our own city and county and rejecting those moneyed politicians who place the profits of their special interest benefactors above the rights of the people. Look beyond parties and follow the money. Further, help elect a new Congress next year as well.

Become an informed citizen, for only an informed electorate can be the guardian of liberty.

Most of all support your candidates and then vote. If we can revive some of the passion of our founders, we may then deserve to be free.