HAVE YOU LOOKED IN THE MIRROR?
What do you see when you look in the mirror? I'm not just speaking about the person you see in the glass, their hair, their eyes, or their smile. Look beyond that; tell me about the essence of the image in the mirror. Is that image an individual for which you have responsibility, someone whose actions you control, and whose future in Society is yours to create? Or, is that person someone others have judged you incompetent to control, over whom they claim authority, and whose future will be determined by the needs of Society?
The Greeks were probably the first to consider these questions. The first to probe the concept of individual liberties and the relationship of the Individual to Government. Their early concepts of Liberty were limited, but to the lasting credit of the Greeks an idea which prospered and became the foundation of Western civilization. The path forward was never easy or straight. It passed through nations and religions. Sometimes the concepts of Liberty grew rapidly; sometimes they seemed to disappear, only to appear elsewhere.
The rise of Liberty can be traced through the great writings and charters of England. The Coronation Charter of Henry the 1st, in 1100 AD declared the authority of the King was not unlimited. The Magna Carta placed further restrictions on the powers of the King. The discovery of the New World provided a catalyst which allowed the ideas and concepts of Liberty to flower. The opportunity to build a new political order shook the foundations of Europe. The turmoil of the 1500s and 1600s resulted in the two of the greatest proclamations of Liberty ever created: the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679 and the English Bill of Rights in 1689.
With the American Revolution, the concept of Liberty and the Rights of the Individual reached a peak. They became the foundation of a new form of Government, one which had no power other than those delegated to it, whose sole purpose was to protect the individual, their inalienable rights, and their property. A Patriot in that period was known as someone who stood up to oppressive Government power. Society was defined as the voluntary interactions of individuals for their collective benefits. The authority of Government limited to a set of narrowly defined functions.
Today, in November 2008, look about you and ask yourself, "What if anything has changed?" To prevent being overwhelmed by the answer, it may be simpler to ask, "What has remained unchanged?" Is a Patriot still someone who stands up to oppressive Government power or now someone who implements oppressive Government power? Is the role of Government simply to protect the Individual and their Rights or is the role of Government to separate the Individual from their Rights? Is Society now a collection of individuals working together or a coercive force defined and enabled by Government. Does the Individual maintain the rights to their Property or does Government define what Property the Individual is allowed to keep.
Consider the current financial crisis and the role of Government. Listen to the President, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, your Congressmen and Senators. Do they speak of any limits on the power of Government or demand anyone take responsibility for their actions? Listen to the bankers, the CEOs of our corporations, and the heads of local governments as they reach into your wallet to steal what you have earned. Do they speak of the limits of Government or their own responsibility? Look at your children and grandchildren who without a voice are being crushed by trillions of dollars of debt, and ask, "Can there be any limit to Government power without individual responsibility?" Finally ask yourself, "Does Government see me as an Individual or simply Property of the State?" The answers to these questions are appallingly obvious. They should enrage every individual.
If they anger you as they should, look again at the image in the mirror. Lock your eyes on those in the glass and assert with all your conviction, "I am an Individual not the Property of the State! I will not submit to Government whose goal is a totalitarian Society and the destruction of Life, Liberty, and Property!” Then affirm it again only louder, "I AM AN INDIVIDUAL NOT THE PROPERTY OF THE STATE! I WILL NOT SUBMIT TO GOVERNMENT WHOSE GOAL IS A TOTALITARIAN SOCIETY AND THE DESTRUCTION OF LIFE, LIBERTY AND PROPERTY!"
Now and in the future, every time you look in the mirror, repeat this affirmation and think of those who over the course of two thousand years lived and fought for these same ideals. Then become involved in the great struggle for our Liberty. None may stand aside and be unaffected. The choice is upon us. – restore Liberty and reject Government and those who would rule us or submit again to a new age of Bondage.