Not too long ago, I visited Independence Hall in Philadelphia and was struck by the great presence imposed on me by that historic site. When I was young, I always imagined our Founders to be larger-than-life figures, almost superhero-like in stature. But only when I stepped into the small, humble Assembly Room, did I truly realize that these were ordinary men who exhibited extraordinary courage. They were willing to sacrifice their lives in order to advance the cause of human freedom and self-governance.A few things pop out at me immediately.
July 4, 2012 marks the 236th Anniversary of our nation’s inception as a free and constitutional republic, and I am reminded of this passage from Thomas Jefferson’s exceptionally eloquent Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
Those words give us the great lesson of our republic. We must always remember that we the people have the power over our government and that the will of the people is the law of the land.
Today, we celebrate another year of freedom and remember the lives of those lost who fought to protect that freedom. We must never forget the ultimate sacrifice so many Americans made to protect our way of life. Today, as we gather around our barbecues and watch outstanding fireworks displays, we pay homage to those heroes who are no longer with us. We must honor them not only today, but everyday that freedom prevails over tyranny.
Tonette, Matt, Alex, and I wish you and your family a blessed and happy Independence Day!
Sincerely,
Scott Walker
45th Governor of Wisconsin
He obviously didn't write this himself since there aren't nearly as many spelling and grammatical errors as we have come to expect when he tries to write something.
It absolutely sickens and enrages me that this man, who is at the beck and call of the corporations, and whose every action is to benefit the corporate interests that bought the governor's seat for him - twice - regardless of how many real people might get hurt, should now try to utter such hypocrisy that he gives a damn about what the real people have to say or what their desires are.
And it's particularly disturbing that a man who has assailed just about every single right we have* should even speak of freedom much less it prevailing over tyranny.
Telling women what they can and cannot do with their bodies or their health is not freedom, it's tyranny. Teaching kids only the things you want them to know is not freedom, it's tyranny. Telling workers they don't have the civil rights they've fought so long for and which has made the state the success it was until a year and a half ago is not freedom, it's tyranny. Telling people they do not have the right to the Freedom of Speech and cannot hold up a sign of protest is not freedom, it's tyranny. Sending state troopers to arrest political opponents is not freedom, it's tyranny. Denying or hindering people from exercising their right to vote is not freedom, it's tyranny.
And the list goes on and on.
Yes, what Walker is foisting upon us isn't freedom. It isn't the will of the people. It's a corporate-backed tyranny. And Walker is a puppet tyrant. Or a dictator if you'd rather.
*I can just hear the pro-Walker acolytes and apologists denying that their rights have been impacted or diminished, but this is only symptomatic of their cognitive dissonance and how deeply in denial they truly are. Sadly, when they do realize that they've screwed themselves by supporting Walker, they'll form some sort of twisted rationale that it's really the Democrat's fault somehow.
Good stuff here!
ReplyDelete"....They were willing to sacrifice their lives in order to advance the cause of human freedom and self-governance...."
ReplyDeleteExactly right.
The price for treason was being "hung, drawn, and quartered."
See Braveheart for more detail.
Another irony is that in 1776 the Founders led a rebellion against an Empire. Today we are an Empire. This explains the long slide toward dictatorship and the police state mentality.
ReplyDeleteCapper-
ReplyDeleteI need to read your blog a little more often now. The clarity of your vision is refreshing and rewarding. Don't back down. Keep beating the drum. You are right. They are wrong.
It is hard to live in a state that I love so much where most people who voted agree with someone like our current governor. It was hard to live in Wisconsin when we passed the anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment, too.
But it is our state. It is beautiful in all its maddening political meanderings. It is worth fighting for and it is worth enduring the rule of misguided sycophants like those currently claiming power in Madison and across our state. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the kind words! And don't worry, I'm just hitting my stride and am in no way about to slow down or back down.
DeleteThis Walker guy is something else.
ReplyDeleteI thought watching him in the capitol on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was something else...., but what do people see in this guy?