AMERICA, ONCE BEAUTIFUL

I can’t say exactly when things changed in America, but in my lifetime it seems the nation in which I was born, is no longer the one in which I live. As a child, I was taught the blessings of liberty and the responsibility of citizenship. Such concepts were common then. Today, they seem outdated as we enter the age of government dependency.

Security is an evil temptress. She intoxicates with the promise of peace and leisure, but instead delivers only enslavement. Throughout history people have sought security, and in that search, obligated themselves to servitude in subjection to kings, dictators, and potentates of all sorts and political arrangement.

One would think that the desire for liberty would stir men’s hearts into action against such tyranny, yet as each oligarchy ruled, the masses bent to their will with little resistance. Most of the time, the hierarchy held sway because they had the power of force to do so. Even if one had the resources or courage to challenge them, those who dared were often relatively alone and met with execution as their reward!

From Spartacus to William Wallace, heros would arise and fall. But the sword couldn’t overcome them all. Ultimately the desire for freedom stirred deep enough within the hearts of men that even open warfare couldn’t quell it.

Such was the case in the 1770’s. Europe was awash in social and political friction. The people had thrown off the yoke of Roman oppression hundreds of years earlier. Yet the more interesting aspect of that subjugation was that Rome was a democracy.

The Roman state sprang from nationalistic and democratic ideals. But over time her people gave over their republic to unscrupulous politicians. The once great empire slowly morphed into an apathetic society dedicated to little more than leisure, and their indulgences were financed through extortion of the rest of the world. That oppression led to revolt, and revolt to liberation. From a once great empire’s crumbling, the world fell into the Dark Ages, but from the darkness grew the Age of Discovery.

Human nature is none-the-less insurmountable, and over time, men returned to their natural state of servitude. Somewhere along the way, the feudal system was born, and the weight of oppression again crushed the people. Thus, by 1776, Europe was no less enslaved than they were under the gauntlet of Cesar.

As is said, history repeats itself and again freedom stirred.

Bit by bit, from 1492 until the American Revolution, a slow trickle of misfits and malcontents made their way to our shores. Many were disillusioned by the repression of their day, and sought refuge in the new land. And with them came the hope of liberty, to worship at will, to engage in commerce without the fetters of a king, and to live peaceful and secure lives.

What most history books neglect to mention, is that the early settlers were loyal subjects of their sovereign. In much the same manner as Martin Luther loved Catholicism, they too cherished their homeland and saw no real reason not to be governed by a king. But such leadership often led to oppression, and without a way to dissent, they found their only option was to declare their independence and to build a new nation from the dregs of the old.

Thus, America was born. She was a new experiment in the history of men; a true representative republic, where the people were governed by and at the will of themselves. Government would instead be the servant of the people, and freedom her lifeblood.

Granted, human nature surfaced momentarily as George Washington was first approached by the Continental Congress to be our nation’s first king. Instead, in his wisdom, he chose to give us the reigns of our own destiny and not to build the house of Washington.

Our nation grew from those humble beginnings. Through the concept of Manifest Destiny, she reached her arms from shore to shore, drawing her borders carefully in blood to both the north and the south. Over time she drove out those who sought to lay claim to that which now belongs to her, and secured the blessing of peace by withstanding the tests of many wars.

She also conquered indigenous peoples and rose through the sting of slavery.

So it was not without sin that our lady of state took her place amongst the nations. There was blood on her hands, which is common in such a crucible. But she also grew in those times of realization where the fields of Wounded Knee and Gettysburg became hallowed. Eventually she came to welcome and enfold those who were once oppressed.

And so the great tide of humanity came from across the seas to seek that illusive treasure only liberty can provide. Some came to America to make a name for themselves, and they did so with the sweat of their brow and the strength of their own character. Granted, it wasn’t always done fairly, but nothing in liberty is guaranteed to be fair. Great or small, they heeded that enigmatic voice from within that whispered the call of opportunity.

Many of those same greedy industrialists are the ones who hammered a transcontinental ribbon of rails, refined iron into steel, constructed great concrete metropolises, wove textiles of every shape and color, and grew an abundance of produce and livestock that was and is the envy of the world. They set in motion the industrial and agricultural prowess we to this day still enjoy. Thus in the fervor of rugged individualism, the name “America” began to mean something. We became the land where the streets were figuratively paved with gold.

Racially and culturally diverse, penniless millions swarmed through Ellis Island and into “the Great Melting Pot”, where they understood that the prospect of success was all they would receive. The Constitution offered freedom of life and liberty, but it also entrusted each individual to take upon him or herself to pursue happiness. Nothing was guaranteed, and if a man wanted to succeed, then he had to make sound decisions and to work hard. And even then, there were no promises. But at least each man had an equal chance to excel.

This was all done by limiting the scope and reach of government, interfering as little as necessary, and always reserving rule to the people. As each grasped for prosperity, they made of this nation the industrial and cultural powerhouse that won the world’s wars, assured the blessings of peace, and at the same time brought so many others back from the brink of starvation and disaster.

But with affluence comes apathy.

With the historically immense economic and social growth we experienced coming out of the 1940’s and 50’s, we also gained the luxury to ponder the imponderable. Compassion is a wonderful thing, but even Jesus in his time said, “The poor will be with you always.”[i] Our hearts went out to those in need. However, philanthropy wasn’t entirely the intent of our leadership. By their generosity, and while using the public treasury for their gains, they also ensured their place in power for the generations to come by supplanting private charity with the open hand of government.

With all good intent, the people went along, and slowly, somewhere in the middle of the last century, the dependent began to confuse the terms “opportunity” and “entitlement”. Some began to supplant pursuit with an expectation of sustenance. After all, the Constitution did promise to “promote the general welfare”.

Worse yet, the very leaders we hired to protect our freedoms found power by promising gifts from the public trust.

After the internal strife of the 1960’s, through hyphenation, faux philanthropy, and a misinformed abandonment of historical context, America grew weary of liberty. One must admit that it’s hard work to plan for the future while making a temporal way for one’s self. So as Uncle Sam held out his hand, there was no shortage of takers, some of whom sentenced generations of their offspring to public dependency. And thus, the size and scale of government grew, and the citizenry became all the more apathetic.

Today, “In God we trust”, has evolved into a tacit demand that the government provide us with manna.

Rivet by rivet, we’re pulling down Lady Liberty. We’re rolling up the gold from the streets, to give away to the tired, poor, huddled masses that come across our freshly opened borders to enjoy the bread and circuses. We enter wars of liberation, then halfway through the battle, we turn upon ourselves and abandon those we hope to save to the very oppressors we sought to evict. And our great attempt at creating social and economic equality has instead created the scourge of reverse discrimination. The blood of our patriot forefathers has turned cold, and no longer surges through our veins.

We’re killing ourselves with the good intentions that pave the road toward the new American concept of civil liberties.

Because of this, our cities run wild with gang violence and drug abuse beats down our young. While fending off attacks from abroad, we are more at war with ourselves than we seem to be with our true enemies. We no longer educate our children to value success and enlightenment, instead opting for indoctrination in societal conformation and public self flagellation over imagined civic wrongs.

Success is evil and profit is likened to greed. We no longer strive to, “Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our Posterity”. Rugged individualism is lost to phlegmatic collectivism. Looking in the mirror, America has become unrecognizable to herself. She has lost the luster only independence can instill.

And so we prepare her eulogy. Here lie the remains of a once great nation formerly dedicated to freedom, liberty, and that never-ending pursuit. She is now abandoned by the apathetic into the hands of self-appointed kings and nobles.

We can only hope that tomorrow brings a return of patriotism. With the rise of socialism and the banishment of the capitalistic system that brought us our affluence, that itch for freedom seems to be stirring once again in the form of the Tea Party movement. And like a faint heartbeat, only time will tell if our patient survives.

“America, America, God mend thine ev’ry flaw. Confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty in law.”

The words of that song once echoed through the school halls. I only pray we’ve now not forgotten the tune!

David Arthur
Patriot
Devote’ of Freedom

P.S.: In conclusion, let me coin a new phrase, “Fauxlantrhopy”. (“foe-lan-thro-pee”) This is where well-meaning people are duped into surrendering their liberty to a ne’er-do-well oligarchy poised for oppression!

[i] Mark 14:7