On July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed through out the thirteen colonies. The people wanted self-government but the English Crown would have none of it - so the colonists decided to take it by force of arms - a revolution against the mightiest power in the world. The Declaration today is still a mighty document. Written by Thomas Jefferson and Company, it declares that all men have a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
All men have the right to live and all men have the right to be free. And, all men have the right to make their dreams come true. Nothing in these three rights granted by the Declaration says that because you are free and breathing that you deserve a lifetime of handouts or for that matter, a protective bubble to live in. These three rights mean that you have the right to live free and fail many times until you succeed. The Declaration was written in an era when men were willing to die for these rights that we blithely take for granted today; shame on us. Yes, cupcake, they were willing to die for the right to fail until they could finally succeed. Obviously the common Joe needed to be free for this opportunity. The Constitution goes further.
Written by James Madison and Company in 1787, the Constitution lays out how the government is to operate. It also expands the Declaration's Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness with the Bill of Rights, the first ten Amendments of the Constitution, that protect the rights of American citizens against a capricious government. It was not an accident or coincidence that the first Amendment, along with its' many rights, contains the Separation Clause - the wall that is supposed to exist between Church and State. Also, it was not an accident that the Second Amendment gives American citizens the right to bear arms (the so-called Kentucky Long Rifle was the "assault rifle" of its' day, as time marches on, so does technology). There are many people living today in the USA, this writer included, that believe the First and Second Amendments support the rest of the Constitution. But, there is a movement, a slow creeping movement that wants the Declaration and the Constitution to not just weaken but disappear. In this writer's opinion, that movement is known today as Political Correctness
Political Correctness is not a new phenomenon - it found life in early 20th century Communist Russia (USSR) to bring about the "correct political mindset" - bending minds, on pain of death, to Stalin's communist doctrine (no excuses here - Uncle Joe Stalin is responsible for the death of millions of his fellow countrymen). This method of coercion did not go unnoticed by American Communists and Socialists but did not gain any real traction until the 1970's.
Ultra-liberal progressives began by eliminating words considered pejorative that they felt offended certain groups of people. They moved forward via language to advance self-victimization and multiculturalism while at the same time, changing the content, the curriculum taught in public schools, colleges, and universities. All pressure.
The PC Police will freely tell you that they love tolerance but that tolerance is given only when the opposite side agrees with their position; disagreement brings a boat load of hate and derision. We are entering an age where Cultural and Economic Marxism is gaining ground, and the collective American mind is closing. This is not The Declaration of Independence's Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness as it was intended. And, it is certainly not the Bill of Rights. When men of normal stature cannot civilly speak their mind we have a problem. So, hear this: These are the times that try men's souls. Thomas Paine wrote that in his pamphlet, The American Crisis, published in 1777. Yes Thomas, they are indeed.
Copyright @2016 Terry Unger
Copyright @2016 Terry Unger
