“SETTING BRUSHFIRES OF FREEDOM”

This is the title of my new book that I hope to have in print by the end of May.  The idea began at least 2 years or so ago.  It came about because of the interest people had in my response during the Question and Answer period after I would speak to different groups.  The question was, “so what do we do?”
 
That our nation has moved away from the nation our founders formed and intended is no revelation.  Neither is the fact that we continue to move more and more from individualism to collectivism, from limited government to big dictatorial government, and from freedom and liberty to tyranny.  This has become more clear in the happenings of the last few months. 
 
There have been several different worrisome trends that have taken place.  I have asked the same question in different ways, and continue to receive a resounding NO to this question.  The question is, “if the 2020 Americans had been the 1760, 1770, and 1780 Americans, would the happenings of July 4, 1776, and October 19, 1781, have occurred.”  The answer is a resoundingly NO!
 
The Declaration of Independence was read to the troops on July 4. 1776, with the intent of raising their spirits.  The document officially stated to the world that the American colonies were now a free nation, independent from the tyranny of the King and Parliament of Britain.  Today’s Americans do not show the same disdain for the tyranny of big government that did the colonists.
 
It was on October 19, 1781, that the British Army was surrendered to General George Washington in Yorktown and is deemed to be the event that won the war for the colonies.  Of course, if July 4, 1776, had not happened, a surrender would never have taken place.  Even if Independence had been declared, I do not believe the Americans of 2020 would have had the resolve to pursue independence for the 6 years, remember the war really began in 1775, that it took to win the war. 
 
When I look at the makeup of the American people of today, and how they respond to different situations, my position is strengthened.  Today we are a population that fears hardship and difficulties more than we desire freedom and liberty.  Patrick Henry declared, “Give me liberty or give me death.” Today’s Americans say give me safety and I will surrender my liberty.  We are seeing this reinforced every minute of every day.  We are allowing governors, mayors, judges, and sheriffs, to dictate to us how we are to run our lives because these officials have declared that unless we follow their orders, no matter how despotic, we will die.  The American people are saying that these despots can ignore our liberties so long as they claim we will be safe. 
 
We have a press today that is the agent of a political party and will do nothing that would illuminate anti-freedom policies of that political party.  Case in point would be how they reported on the sexual harassment claim against Judge Kavanaugh in contrast to Joe Biden.  A free nation needs a press that is at least consistent in their reporting, even if they are not fair.  The public will then have a standard on which to judge and understand the news of that outlet. 
 
We have an entrenched bureaucracy that has determined their will is the only will that counts,  They have refuted the sovereignty of the people and have declared that they, as members of the bureaucracy, are sovereign and the people will again be relegated to the role of servant.  This deep state is the result of a government that continues to grow and while growing it becomes more and more powerful while the people became more and tolerant of government dictates.  Many 2020 Americans are now vehemently opposing a duly elected president who has stated it is his intent to return sovereignty to the people and place the bureaucracy in its intended role of being a servant to the will of the people. 
 
My biggest concern is that in 2020, America has a major political party that has at the center of its party platform the destruction of and total elimination of those principles deemed essential for freedom by our founders.  The founders purposefully limited government, this political party advocates for a totally controlling and dominant government.  The founders deemed essential to freedom the strict adherence to the concept of rule of law, this political party has implemented the policy of arbitrary law with the idea that a majority can determine how the law is to be applied.  The founders deemed essential that our nation be a republic with the protection of liberties for all, even the minority, while this party has claimed we are to be a democracy with the right of the majority to dictate who has liberties and rights.  The founders deemed as essential for freedom that we have a divided government with the legislative branch being the only branch with the power to make law, while this party has claimed that the role of the legislative branch can be completely bypassed and that the opinion of a judge must be acknowledged as the law of the land.  The founders deemed it as essential to freedom that the natural rights of life, liberty, and property are unalienable rights, while this party has advocated that natural rights can be regulated and eliminated by government as government deems best.  The founders deemed as essential to freedom that the rights of the individual be superior to any group-imposed limitations, while this party advocates that the desire and ambition of the individual be limited to those imposed by the group.
 
The challenge to we Americans in 2020 who have the same desire for liberty that propelled our founders to declare independence and then prevail until it was secured, must be just as resolved to that end as were they.  We who favor liberty and freedom must understand our heritage, must understand those who oppose American values and why, and then we must set about “Setting Brushfires of Freedom” in the minds of the many Americans who are not sure what they believe.  The challenge is real.  Will you take up the cause to preserve the freedom and liberty that is our heritage? Will you join me in "Setting Brushfires of Freedom" in the minds of fellow Americans.