August 30, 2017

U-Turn

By Tammy Derouin

It’s easy to understand why our country is in the predicament it is in when the cold hard truth is right in front of us. When people stop learning history or refuse to acknowledge the truth and stop seeking the truth, everyone suffers. Sadly, because of this lack of attention, our country is going down a dead end road, with very few U-turn options remaining.

Dependency is hurting our nation. Self-reliance is no longer valued. Dependency is vital to those who wish to have ultimate control. If someone or some entity wishes to have that kind of power over you, they must convince you that they are indispensable. Government dependency programs are created or increased to provide for you, in other words, control you. The rhetoric is then unleashed that you were never completely responsible for your success in the first place. Once you become dependent, you lose your freedom.

The American Revolution was a turning point in history. This turning point would not have happened had it not been for the courage of the explorers, pilgrims and the colonist who dared to dream. The United States not only emerged as a new nation, free from the bonds of Mother England, it emerged as a land of freedom. When creating our form of government the founders could have placed themselves in high positions of power, but they didn't. They created a system of government, a republic, that put the power in the hands of the people. The U.S. Constitution restrains the government. Freedom is in the hands of each American citizen. It is our duty to preserve and protect our freedom, which means we need to stay informed.

We cannot adequately protect and defend our way of life if we do not understand the value of our republic. When we do not understand the value of self-reliance, which to me, also means the ability to seek out the truth for yourself, we end up with Americans cheering for freedom, but voting for individuals who make promises to fundamentally transform America. Why would anyone who values freedom and independence want to fundamentally change the foundation of our beliefs? Voting for individuals who are supportive of socialism, communism or Sharia, will eventually destroy the freedom and liberty we have fought so hard to maintain.

Our history is being destroyed. Without the past, we would not have present day America. If you erase either side of an argument, battle or war, you erase the reasons it became necessary to stand up and fight. Without knowledge of why such battles or wars took place, we are doomed to repeat them. We cannot learn from history if we erase it.

If we begin to erase the people or events which took place yesterday, because we feel their ideas or beliefs are not in line with today's enlightened way of thinking, we would not have today's enlightened way of thinking. You cannot reach your destination without the journey. Our history provides the journey, the path which led to today's freedom.

The Civil Rights Act would not have taken place without the history which led up to it. The Emancipation Proclamation would not have taken place without the Civil War. The Civil War would not have taken place without the American Revolution, which became necessary, although already underway, because of the Declaration of Independence. None of the these events would have taken place without dreamers who set sail and crossed the Atlantic.

What would your life be like without the courage of your ancestors? Without the steps of those who came before us, where, or under what circumstances, might you be living today? Is it better than what you have here, in the United States? What battles have you fought to make your life better? Will these battles help your children and their posterity? The United States of America is the land of the free because of the brave.

The founding fathers had no control over the political or economic circumstances into which they were born. Not a single one of us determined where we were going to start out in life. What is important to remember is not only where a person begins, but what did they accomplish despite challenges and obstacles?

We would not have the freedom we have today without the battles that were fought yesterday. The founders put together a blueprint for freedom, for everyone. They could not correct all the wrongs of the world all at once. They did however, create a nation and a document with a path to freedom. If all these events hadn't taken place, we would not have the freedom we have today. I think that is an amazing accomplishment and one worth celebrating.

“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.”

Thomas Jefferson