Independence

Two hundred thirty-three years ago, brave men committed treason against their King and countrymen to declare a new form of government for the men, women, and children of thirteen English colonies in the New World. They risked not only their lives and fortunes, but also the lives of all those whom they loved and held dear, to create the opportunity for freedom to rise up and show the world how it could let human beings live, love, worship, and achieve without the heavy hand of masters.

There was no precedent for their planned society. It synthesized noble bits of many western cultures. Its idealism outstripped the practices of the day; almost a century passed before human slavery was outlawed in this new land. But its principles were, and remain, singular in human experience.

By declaring independence, the founders laid down a challenge to all of us who profit from their wisdom, bravery, and persistence. They challenged us to live up to the promise of the new nation they birthed on our shores. They dared us to keep our borders safe, our culture alive, and our God-given freedom. They declared that we are endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the "pursuit" of happiness. They declared that the fit purpose of government is to safeguard these rights.

Now we are at war with ourselves over the desires of some to exchange these rights for more modern causes: security, fairness, and government-managed compassion for the poor. Men and women of good conscience vie for these causes with fortitude and perseverance. When they confront the ills their efforts have wrought on our society, they see only their good intentions and they redouble their efforts to accomplish their goals. Their faith is in the virtue of their cause. When opposed, they point to the ills that have befallen our fellow citizens and others in the land when the imperfect execution of the founders' plan has allowed bad outcomes. You see, outcomes matter to these warriors - when the outcomes may be blamed on their opponents.

I declare for freedom. Were I to lose all I have accumulated in my life and have no ability to earn another dime, I would rather depend on the charity of my fellow Christians than to receive government largess. Were I to fall ill and have no means to pay for my care, I would prefer to await my end than to conspire with the enemy to take what is rightfully yours for my care.

I declare for freedom. Though the taxman take a ghastly share of my income and deplete my accumulated earnings, I will continue to contribute to charities that help men, women, and children in the United States and abroad to learn, to know the love of Jesus Christ, and to be healed of their ailments. You who would increase my taxes, do you contribute to a poor child overseas? Do you support the homeless mission in your home town with your own money? Are you contributing to the ministry of God's word? Well, I will continue to do so for as long as I have the means.

I declare for freedom. No thief in the night will be safe where I live. While I cannot stop the thief who silently robs my paycheck, I can surely protect the property I hold. Yes, I will call the police, but the thief who breaks into my home is unlikely to hear me make that call, or anything else, ever.

I declare for freedom. I will not support any politician, any organization, or any business that would deprive me and those I love of the freedom to be born, to worship God, to express myself within the confines of decency, to spend my money lawfully, to invest, and to keep what I earn. I live in a state where neither senator enjoys my support. I will work to unseat them. I have put my political party on notice. I stopped shopping at Wal-Mart when they declared support for government-mandated health insurance (since Target had lower health care costs).

I declare for freedom. I want every lawful resident of the United States to have every opportunity to achieve individually to the maximum extent possible. No person should gain or lose a benefit through membership in a class - be it race, sex, religion, membership in a union, political view, or any other. I also want every unlawful resident of the United States to leave. We'll just have to figure out how to get along without you. We've done it before; we can do it again.

I declare for freedom. I want Congress and the courts to take a deep breath and read the Constitution of the United States. Then I want each member to remember the oath of office. Were this to happen, most of the legal structure of government would be struck down in a trice. There would be no McCain-Feingold limitations on free speech. There would be no Department of Education, no Environmental Protection Agency, no Federal Protective Service, no Department of Housing and Urban Development, no Department of Energy, and no deficit. The tax reductions would restore America to its past role as the manufacturing and productivity leader of the world.

I declare for freedom. Were we free in the sense the founders intended, there would be no forum to agitate for homosexual marriage, because there would be no benefit to be gained. The role of government in our lives would be so minimal that there would be no difference for those who claim this lifestyle. Personally, I want to be free from the claim of this and other social groups that I must acknowledge the moral equivalence of their choices. There is and can never be moral equivalence, or there would be no morality. Were we free in the sense our founders intended, the unwillingness of practitioners of the new morality to donate would not matter to the needs of those who must rely on charity for housing, sustenance, and health care; the unfettered productivity of free men and women who follow Christ would be sufficient to fuel the charities of our nation.

I declare for freedom. Left to the miracle of economics, the needs of the nation for water, power, and food would be met with ease. Only the heavy hand of government can create shortages.

Please, let me be independent. You go be independent, too. We will all benefit. And you liberals who suffer loss of self-esteem because time will prove we don't need you to tell us how to live will eventually get over it. Trust me. God has a plan for you, to prosper you and to keep you safe. You just need to put away the things of the world and listen to Him.

Happy Independence Day! Long live liberty in the United States of America!