"With all their backbreaking hard work, they felt it unfair to have a significant portion of the fruits of their labors confiscated by a government that neither represented their interests nor respected their freedom."
Ben Carson, M.D.
America The Beautiful
Zondervan Publishing 2012
p. 19
Escalating taxes without interests being represented and without respect for freedom. I find the similarities quite striking between Great Britain of old and the current U.S.
If we-the-people vote something down, it no longer means anything--unless it's pay-offs, manipulation, or adding the "no" to a bill that would be inhumane to vote anything but yes for.
Many young people (and others) have given up on voting. They determine either that their vote doesn't matter, or that all choices are equally bad. I understand. I, too, am tempted. But I fear that not voting invites a dictatorship; and that not necessarily overnight.
Ben Carson reminds us that some of Britain's subjects felt a fight for freedom was too risky. They preferred to hold on to their current benefits. I, too, am fearful and a low risk taker. But, I'm old enough now to have seen progressive losses.
So . . . we don't fight (protest, speak out, write editorials or our elected officials) for fear of losing benefits, freedoms, or friends. My dear citizen, unless we exhibit courage and strength, we could well lose them anyway.
Matthew 24:43 tells us that "if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into."
We are watching. Do we misunderstand? Are we going to "watch" them walk off with our money to support things against our better judgment and our morals? Will we watch them walk off with our freedom of religion? Our freedom of speech?
Do we think they're borrowing our freedom and will return it in the condition with which we gave it to them?
I don't think so.
EverGrowing,
Lonnie
