Chains

There comes a time in every great civilization when people begin to look around and see more and more of their countrymen in chains, chains of bondage. Not always literal chains but chains none the less. I ask you all, to look around at those in your day to day lives and ask yourself, how many are free, truly free. Are they debt free? Do they own their own home and land? Do they live a self sustaining life? If the government went bankrupt tomorrow, would they be OK?

I’m not here to pass judgment on folks who live on Medicare or social security, food stamps or any other type of welfare but these government run programs are chains. These chains are tied around the neck and waist of each person who relies upon them. When our Uncle Sam says jump, we must respond back, how high! Ladies and Gentleman, this is not freedom.

Our Leaders have led us a stray, they have led us to believe that these Government programs are our only means of success. Instead of making it possible for us to succeed on our own, they have stepped in decided for us, that Socialism is best. That only when we are taxed and that wealth is redistributed can we see to the welfare of our fellow countrymen, those who have nothing else. In many cases these people are not bad people but folks who fell upon hard times or folks who simply made one bad decision after another.

In our Nations past we have went through many hardships where many people suffered and have even lost their lives. And each of these times our Government has taken in upon itself to step in, to make this hardship a little easier. At the time this seems logical, after all we pay taxes it seems only right that they step in and give us a hand up. Only after time has passed, after many years can it be realized that this was never a hand up, but a hand out. Our leaders learned, and learned well, that these handouts can buy votes in future elections. What senior citizen living on Social Security and Medicaid is going to vote for the guy who is going to take it away? Even when a promise is made that no one who is living on it or will be dependent on it in the near future will have benefits removed, these people are still weary to trust anyone who says they will break these chains.

People have become so very dependent on these chains that they don’t even realize how heavy they have become.

I’d like to share with you some words by James Madison from Federalist 55.

"As there is a degree of depravity in mankind which requires a certain degree of circumspection and distrust: So there are other qualities in human nature, which justify a certain portion of esteem and confidence. Republican government presupposes the existence of these qualities in a higher degree than any other form. Were the pictures which have been drawn by the political jealousy of some among us, faithful likenesses of the human character, the inference would be that there is not sufficient virtue among men for self government; and that nothing less than the chains of despotism can restrain them from destroying and devouring one another."

Consider for a moment what this must have meant to Mr. Madison. Consider the power of that last sentence, especially the words, “and that nothing less than the chains of despotism can restrain them from destroying and devouring one another”. Now consider what this means to you and reflect for a moment.

We as the citizenry of this great country need to stand up and fight for what we believe. We need to tell our Legislators as well as our friends and family that it’s time to take this freedom back from those who look to keep us enslaved. We need to break these chains and take our country back.

Cheers,

Mike