The the voting is over and the counting continues. When the dust settles America must decide to abide in the Republic we were given in the 1700s or allow ourselves to become fundamentally transformed by the Leftist.  The fight for freedom is never a one election or one-time event, but a perpetual effort.  The fight for liberty is not a fight for yourself or this present generation but a fight for posterity.  Our founding fathers understood this reality, expressed it, and took incredibly wise steps to provide a pathway to continued liberty through republicanism.

The founders and framers of our constitution and system of government understood the incredibly grave dangers of direct democracies and the incredible benefit and possibilities found in republics.  They objected to oligarchies, monarchies, dictatorships, and sought to provide a government that could be of the people, by the people, and for the people. 

Any time humans attain power and position the tendency is to gravitate toward rulership and a corrupt mentality.  The insightful words of Lord Acton, the 19^th-century British historian come to mind and should be remembered. He said, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”  I believe that although there is an element of truth in that statement there is a reality that extends beyond it and speaks more fully to the issue.  That is, “Power does not corrupt; it heightens pre-existing ethical tendencies.”  Abraham Lincoln seemed to understand that reality when he said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”

The issue of freedom and its antagonist, power can be noted in the Bible in the Gospel of John.  In John 11, the religious hierarchy was deeply disturbed by the miracles of Jesus and said, “If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”  (v.48).  They were concerned with the loss of power, position, and prominence not the benefit of the people or mankind.  That is the same root that is prevalent in the world of politics, business, and virtually every segment of society.  The quest for control and power and the willingness to do whatever is necessary to maintain must be guarded against.

In America, we were provided a Constitution that identified what the government was permitted to do and specified that all else was off-limits.  The professional politicians, who make up the bureaucracy embodied in Congress, many of the Courts, and the various Agencies of government want power. 

Our political system has evolved into a corrupt entity that focuses more on self-perpetuation than the benefit of the republic or the citizens.  We are secondary and deemed uninformed as to what should transpire.  We provide the votes and the money for them to fulfill their ambitions and if we receive a benefit in the process that is a bonus.  They believe we should be groveling grateful for any tidbit they toss us and should never question or complain.

I rediscovered a document that was published on January 19, 1961, that caught my attention and reminded me of the requirement upon each of us in this fight for freedom.  Regardless of the purpose of the article, it makes several statements that are perpetually germane in the discussion and pursuit of freedom.  It was a statement by Earl W. Kintner, Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission in a meeting with the Better Business Bureau of Memphis, Tennessee.  He said, “Freedom is difficult to define.  Yet a society dedicated to individualism must somehow perform this difficult task of definition if it is to survive.” 

I am convinced that if we are to maintain freedom and liberty in America, we must define what we desire to preserve.  If we do not know what freedom is how will take the proper steps to preserve or achieve it?  Mr. Kintner went on to say, “A working concept of freedom must somehow equate the rights of one and the rights of many, the rights of the individual and the rights of society.  Too much deference to the rights of the individual produces anarchy; too much deference to the rights of the mass produces a faceless tyranny.  Obviously, a balance must be struck.”

I hear people repeatedly say, “Well we are a democracy, and the majority rules.”  I feel compelled to remind everyone, we are not a direct democracy but a republic.  Our founders detailed with incredible accuracy the dangers of being a direct democracy and the benefits of a republican form of government. 

That is why they provided the system of checks and balances in the three branches of government.  A distinction that corruption has blurred to our hurt.  They provided the electoral college system to ensure that each state has proper representation in the selection of the President.  A direct majority rule policy would relegate that selection to the East and West Coasts with pockets of large liberal Urban centers in the midsection of the nation.

Our political and economic systems are seen at their best when they allow the individual the greatest opportunity for unfettered self-improvement.  Strangling government regulations, exorbitant taxation, loss of liberties such as speech, religion, self-defense, and movement all diminish freedom and open the door to tyranny.  Freedom is not without obstacles and only as we take the proper steps to prevent political corruption from stripping us of our liberties can we remain free.  We must decide if we will take those actions.  Our votes indicated our decision not our actions in the years to come will define our resolve.

Many of those who came to America, in the beginning, came in pursuit of religious liberty and to escape oligarchies and the tyranny of self-serving monarchs.  They persevered through some daunting obstacles and difficulties with an unshakable conviction that a society could be built based on God’s Word and His Laws.  For over 240 years America has enjoyed unprecedented freedom and liberty and over the past decade or so those liberties have become the target of the politically corrupt.

In our early years and even in my early years there was evidence of spiritual revivals that helped America maintain a strong moral and spiritual value system that promoted personal accountability and responsibility.  There was a measure of self-reliance without viewing the self as omnipotent but in our respect for the moral values of the Bible, a strong work ethic, and recognizable value place on family we thrived.  Since the Great Society of LBJ, we have been traveling at light speed toward the disruption of those values, and today we are at a significant crossroads.  What road do we take?  Freedom and Liberty or do we acquiesce and surrender to the political power mongers and become enslaved without chains?

I pray that we will discover or rediscover, before it is too late, that Freedom is not without a price and will unite in demanding that all politicians at all levels will honor the Constitution, respect our inalienable rights, and return to being a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.  We have the power if we unite.  We have no power if we remain divided!

God bless you and God bless America!