I wrote this last night as a way to outlet a lot of the thoughts going through my head... it isn't particularly polished, and I'm not necessarily proud of it's presentation because I know I can do much better. But here it is anyway, I'll probably get around to cleaning it up and making it a bit more logical in terms of flow later. I'm quite certain the Tim and MA will come in here guns blazing calling me a neocon, teabagger, or some other term intended to belittle me or my beliefs, but I really don't give a shit.
The last time that legislation as unpopular as this health care "reform" bill was passed was in 1854. The legislation in question was the Kansas-Nebraska act, which changed the way that states were added to the Union. Prior to this act, the states alternated "slave" and "free" as was mandated by the Missouri Compromise of 1820. This legislation allowed settlers in territories to determine if they would allow slavery within their boundaries. The act was written under the auspices of trying to ease tensions between the North and the South, the "free" states and "slave" states. However, it turned out to pit the two "sides" against each other even further, as the North viewed it as a way for the South to expand slavery even further.
There were two major results from this legislation. The first was that it gave rise to a brand new political party, one that would gain power in the House, Senate, and White House within 4 years of its inception. The second, more tragic result is that it divided the nation even further, and set us on a course for Civil War.
Now, I'm not saying that this health care legislation is going to lead to a civil war, quite the contrary; I don't believe that it will, nor do I believe that it should. However, it has already deeply divided this country even further than it was divided already due to events such as the Iraq War, the PATRIOT Act, and numerous other issues facing this country right now.
I personally believe that this health care bill is nothing but the first step towards single payer health care. Our President has even stated that is his eventual goal. I also believe that this legislation is going to add even more tax burden on businesses and the middle class (despite claims and promises to the contrary, regarding the latter at least). But I'm trying to stay optimistic here, I still believe in this country, and I still believe that good could possibly come from this.
The Tea Party movement is strong; while I don't agree with everything they stand for, or all of the groups that have attached themselves to their coattails. But what it tells me is that there are a significant number of Americans that are upset with the status quo and how things are being run currently. Personally, I was upset with how things were run prior to our current President being elected, but that's neither here nor there at this point. But the grassroots effort of the tea party tells me that change can happen, and not ObamaChange, but actual real change in this country. We need change that isn't about left or right, Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative. Change that is meaningful and lasts, a change that brings us back to following the Constitution as the highest law of the land, and not merely a guideline we pay attention to every once in a while.
From this day forward, let us not accept defeat due to this legislation being passed, let us not become discouraged, and let us not give up. Rather, take this as a call to battle, a call to an uprising; not a battle or uprising fought with weapons, but rather one fought with our words, our voting actions, and our commitment to seeing this country change for the better.
I take heart in the fact that there are politicians out there that do seem to have their constituents and the country as a priority, but unfortunately there are very few and far between. But they do exist, and we need to rally behind them. This isn't the time to simply elect people with the same Republican principles that helped get us into this mess to begin with. We need to put people in office who actually passionately care about this country and its citizens; people who are willing to take a stand for what they believe in, and not for what will give them a seat in a committee, or further their personal political aspirations. For too long have we sat idly by and let the lifelong politicians run this country, for too long have we allowed government to expand.
Our children and grandchildren are going to live in the country that we create today. Are we going to leave them with a mess that they don't have a hope to get out of? Or are we going to stand up and be counted, stand up for what we believe in, and stand up for the principles that helped make this country what it is today. The entrepreneurial spirit that led us to become the world's economic super power, the independent thought that set us apart from every country in the world, and the desire to be free from a tyrannical government that led to the founding of the United States of American in the first place.
Let March 21st, 2010 live as a day of infamy, a day that the socialists in Congress tried to tell us that they know what's best for us. But I ask you to do this, let March 22nd, 2010 stand as a day that the people of these United States of America that are dissatisfied with the way things are, and took a stand to take this country back from those that would take freedom away from us, a stand for freedom. Let it stand as a day when we told the politicians in Washington that enough is enough, and we will not stand for business as usual in Washington or in any of the capital cities in this great country. Take a stand for freedom, for liberty, and for the true “American Way”.
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.
-Ronald Reagan
Flame away
The last time that legislation as unpopular as this health care "reform" bill was passed was in 1854. The legislation in question was the Kansas-Nebraska act, which changed the way that states were added to the Union. Prior to this act, the states alternated "slave" and "free" as was mandated by the Missouri Compromise of 1820. This legislation allowed settlers in territories to determine if they would allow slavery within their boundaries. The act was written under the auspices of trying to ease tensions between the North and the South, the "free" states and "slave" states. However, it turned out to pit the two "sides" against each other even further, as the North viewed it as a way for the South to expand slavery even further.
There were two major results from this legislation. The first was that it gave rise to a brand new political party, one that would gain power in the House, Senate, and White House within 4 years of its inception. The second, more tragic result is that it divided the nation even further, and set us on a course for Civil War.
Now, I'm not saying that this health care legislation is going to lead to a civil war, quite the contrary; I don't believe that it will, nor do I believe that it should. However, it has already deeply divided this country even further than it was divided already due to events such as the Iraq War, the PATRIOT Act, and numerous other issues facing this country right now.
I personally believe that this health care bill is nothing but the first step towards single payer health care. Our President has even stated that is his eventual goal. I also believe that this legislation is going to add even more tax burden on businesses and the middle class (despite claims and promises to the contrary, regarding the latter at least). But I'm trying to stay optimistic here, I still believe in this country, and I still believe that good could possibly come from this.
The Tea Party movement is strong; while I don't agree with everything they stand for, or all of the groups that have attached themselves to their coattails. But what it tells me is that there are a significant number of Americans that are upset with the status quo and how things are being run currently. Personally, I was upset with how things were run prior to our current President being elected, but that's neither here nor there at this point. But the grassroots effort of the tea party tells me that change can happen, and not ObamaChange, but actual real change in this country. We need change that isn't about left or right, Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative. Change that is meaningful and lasts, a change that brings us back to following the Constitution as the highest law of the land, and not merely a guideline we pay attention to every once in a while.
From this day forward, let us not accept defeat due to this legislation being passed, let us not become discouraged, and let us not give up. Rather, take this as a call to battle, a call to an uprising; not a battle or uprising fought with weapons, but rather one fought with our words, our voting actions, and our commitment to seeing this country change for the better.
I take heart in the fact that there are politicians out there that do seem to have their constituents and the country as a priority, but unfortunately there are very few and far between. But they do exist, and we need to rally behind them. This isn't the time to simply elect people with the same Republican principles that helped get us into this mess to begin with. We need to put people in office who actually passionately care about this country and its citizens; people who are willing to take a stand for what they believe in, and not for what will give them a seat in a committee, or further their personal political aspirations. For too long have we sat idly by and let the lifelong politicians run this country, for too long have we allowed government to expand.
Our children and grandchildren are going to live in the country that we create today. Are we going to leave them with a mess that they don't have a hope to get out of? Or are we going to stand up and be counted, stand up for what we believe in, and stand up for the principles that helped make this country what it is today. The entrepreneurial spirit that led us to become the world's economic super power, the independent thought that set us apart from every country in the world, and the desire to be free from a tyrannical government that led to the founding of the United States of American in the first place.
Let March 21st, 2010 live as a day of infamy, a day that the socialists in Congress tried to tell us that they know what's best for us. But I ask you to do this, let March 22nd, 2010 stand as a day that the people of these United States of America that are dissatisfied with the way things are, and took a stand to take this country back from those that would take freedom away from us, a stand for freedom. Let it stand as a day when we told the politicians in Washington that enough is enough, and we will not stand for business as usual in Washington or in any of the capital cities in this great country. Take a stand for freedom, for liberty, and for the true “American Way”.
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.
-Ronald Reagan
Flame away
