“We hold these truths to be self-evident . . .”

In 1989, a series of revolutions swept through central Eastern Europe, as the peoples of Poland, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Romania threw off the communist regimes that had held their countries in an oppressive iron grip for more than forty years.

Delivering his State of the Union Address in 1990, President Bush remarked on the stunning advances in freedom that had captured the world’s attention over the previous year. Here, he recalled an incident that took place in the midst of the revolution in Czechoslovakia. At a workers’ rally outside Prague, a brewery worker took to the platform and began to recite the words of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident . . .” Speaking to a crowd of more than one thousand workers he said, “Americans understood these rights more than 200 years ago. We are only now learning to believe that we are entitled to the same rights.”

Now… for the rest of the story.

This was posted by an Iowan; a constituent of Senator Charles Grassley.  The post below relays the current state of the union in these present days:

A letter to my traitor

http://blog.amnestyusa.org/tag/intelligence-committee/

Lindsey Graham and Carl Levin NEED TO GO!!!  Let’s just get that out in the open. This is the way I feel, so I better tell you now! How long will the majority of Americans continue to sit on their hands and let DC strip us of our rights, liberties and freedoms!

You see.. it is not a Republican/Democrat issue, not a Left/Right issue…. It is a We The People subjected to the whims of an out of control, unbounded, non-accountable Federal Government issue…

A government who accepts no bounds, dispatches thugs to airports to deny The People their rights “guaranteed” by the 4th Amendment. The people are locked up just for mentioning or reciting it. Don’t question what the TSA’s ability or authority to do what it does.:

“We will have you arrested for holding up the line and disrupting operations”

Now we deal with this…

“Senate Votes To Let Military Detain Americans Indefinitely, White House Threatens Veto”

Every day there is a new violation of our rights as a People governed within the confines of the framework outlined in the US Constitution. It is the basis of the Government of the United States of America.  That government doesn’t bother paying attention to it. It formed a LIMITED GOVERNMENT and directs how our country’s government is to behave.

Republican and Democratic  Senators are trumpeting this legislation which contains sections aimed at totally violating the rights of American citizens to face their accusers in a court of law,  a trial,  or even the fundamental right of knowing what you are being charged with. The bill set to be voted upon is the” National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (NDAA)”.

Under the totalitarian sections, authority would be transferred from the DoJ to the DoD.  If enacted, sections 1031 and 1032 of the NDAA would:

(1)  Explicitly authorize the federal government to indefinitely imprison without charge or trial American citizens and others picked up inside and outside the United States;

(2)  Mandate military detention of some civilians who would otherwise be outside of military control, including civilians picked up within the United States itself; and

(3)  Transfer to the Department of Defense core prosecutorial, investigative, law enforcement, penal, and custodial authority and responsibility now held by the Department of Justice.

Indefinite detention without being formally charged and being  subjected to interrogation by law enforcement agencies, is not something the People of the USA would ever think to be concerned with, but it is a reality. The Senate is in work now to get this bill passed, which would do exactly that; rob Americans of their constitutionally mandated protections.

This is supported by both parties, and thankfully opposed by both parties, as it should be. If there ever was a time for an expression of  Bi-Partisanship, the optimum time would be now as the two entrenched party representatives come together to destroy this “Enabling Act” which is being promoted by the likes of Democrat Levin and Republican Graham.

Everything. Are people going to start falling out in the streets if we eliminate Social Security and Medicare? Will people keel over if we get rid of the welfare state? Hell no so why is it so hard for Republicans and Democrats to name their cuts. My cuts of choice are pretty simple and straight forward: Time for the kiddies to grow up and its to rid this country of the welfare state. This debate goes on and on, president to president, and congress to congress. We’re all adults here guys we don’t need to lie in order to save our own butts. If I were running for office I would be straight with voters and tell them that the age of government is truly over. Not kind of sort of over, not over until a new congress and new president comes in, over period.

I’ve never had cashed a welfare check, used food stamps, medicare, or social security, and I can say with  confidence as a twenty three year old broke college student I would be no more or less off with a welfare check in my hand and a food stamp card than I am without one. Maybe its my belief in an enduring sense of self reliance and faith that I can work hard and turn my current situation around for the better, maybe its my belief that government is best served when its limited to its duties outlined by the constitution.

People say honest politicians can’t get elected because even if the people wanted more honesty from their elected officials they don’t really want honesty because at the end of the day it all boils down to how things affect their situation and whether or not they will be able to get theirs. Well, I’ve been pondering a possible run for office in 2014. My platform would focus on the brutality that is the truth. As the saying goes the truth hurts, no one wants to hear that they can’t play the saxophone, or that they do look fat in that dress, or that their breath smells like manure. But sometimes simple truth can do some significant good for a society and its people.

What’s the worse that could happen if we take incremental steps to eliminate social security, medicare, and medicaid, along with other entitlement programs. In a perfect world every person would be entitled to something but we don’t live in a perfect world and money doesn’t grow on trees. We’re promised nothing in life, not even another day living and breathing on this earth and yet we’ve gotten to a point where we just expect and expect and expect from our government mommy and when they don’t deliver exactly how we wanted it we throw tantrums and we complain like children. Ed Rendell was right when he said we’re a nation of wusses because we are too afraid of making the hard choices that will hurt us in the short run and help us in the long run, because we’re too focused on our own situation and what we want.

Just look at our friends in Europe where you have college students rioting because their tuition is being cut. In a few years the same thing will happen in America. We already have public sector unions and professional protesters picketing outside banks and in front of homes in foreclosure demanding government save them from the evil corporate boogeyman hiding in their closets.

They say we’re crazy for suggesting our government actually function within the boundaries of the constitution. Well maybe I am crazy for wanting a more fiscally stable country so that when I do decide to have children they inherit from me a more prosperous America. God forbid we start thinking of the next generation for a change. Man up America, grow some stones and start living within your means.