A Matter of Control by Ira Schwartz
“The only sure bulwark of continuing liberty is a government strong enough to protect the interests of the people, and a people strong enough and well enough informed to maintain its sovereign control over the government.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Barack Hussein Obama was elected by the winds of change which swept across the United States like a Kansas twister. We were tired of 8 years of the Bush Administrations and wanted something new, something different. Barack Obama exploded on the scene and immediately caught our attention. He was charismatic, a good speaker and had a definite plan that would change America for the better. Such quotes as, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek” only fueled our excitement further.
This was what we wanted to hear, this was what we had hoped for. So where did everything go so terribly wrong?
It started when we the people became content. Obama was the man we wanted so we over looked a lot of the early warning signs. After all he wanted change just like the rest of us. What we didn’t understand was to get to this land of milk and honey we would have to trust that our government knew what was good for us. We would have to surrender some of our “freedom”; we would have to surrender “control”.
“Freedom” and “control” are important words to us Americans. This country was born because our founders wanted to be in control of their own lives and the freedom to live them as they saw fit. Almost every war the United States has ever participated in involved some element of “control” or “Freedom”. Let’s face it, we Americans like to be in control of things. When we’re not we become very agitated and angry. That’s just who we are and that is what made this country great. It is also what pisses off a lot of other countries. But that’s their problem and if they don’t like it they can get money and protection from someone else. But I fear I stray too far.
“Control” and “Freedom” are the cornerstones of our society. These are the building blocks on which this great country of ours was built. These are two of the things most Americans would be willing to shed their blood to protect. So when the present administration began to erode our “Freedom” and “control” many of us stood up and took notice. Healthcare reform, Cap and Trade, Cyber Security to name a few. At first we were confused, those that were speaking against this legislation must surely be wrong. Obama wouldn’t do this to us. But as the realization of what was really happening set in we became agitated, then angry, very angry.
So we began to fight back. The more “control” the Administration tried to gain the louder we complained. In the beginning our cries of protest were largely ignored. With control of the House and the Senate they were certain they could pass whatever legislation they wanted. If history teaches us anything it teaches that nothing in life is a certainty. It also teaches that Americans rarely do what you expect us to do as displayed by the Republican win in Massachusetts last week.
Barack Hussein Obama, 44th President of the United States, fell into the same trap as did the British, the Germans, the Japanese and the Iraqi’s, he underestimated the American peoples will not to be controlled by anyone, not even our own government. I’m sure President Obama is confused by our reaction and angry because he is no longer in control. But he of all people should know that any control he thought he had was granted to him by us, the American people and it could be revoked as quickly as it was given.
Slowly the control is moving back to where it belongs, with us….the people. And hopefully those in our government are learning a lesson that that is where it will always belong. Those that don’t will learn a harsher lesson in November; it will never be the American government that has the final word…..it will always be the American people.
© 2010 by Ira Schwartz. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Labels: Barack Obama, Franklin D. Roosevelt, George W. Bush, Ira Schwartz, The Tenth Amendment
posted by Frank T. DeMartini @ 6:58 PM
11 Comments:
You hit it right on! And we will have to use our VOTE to make the message clear, because they are not listening!
Gammy Sparkles
Well they will be after November. By then it will be way too late for some of them. Thanks for the comment Gammy.
Yes, Ira we all wanted change, the problem was no one was really listening to Obamas' message. That he planned on fundamentally transforming the USA. Socialized words.... Fortunately, the people are listening now. Thank you for the great article.
Lori
A fuh-riggin' MEN! Good one, Ira.
-- Lynn
Great article Ira.
Oh, my! And what exactly would you do? Counting on miracles, courtesy of the Tea Party and Independents, like Massachusetts is a fool’s choice. It is not enough to say, leaving the current field of conservative defeat, with the admonition that we must do better. The message is good but the economy of detail is Obamaism.
Massachusetts was just the opening shot. The tea party has it's own agenda and not necessarily the same as everyone else. This will be a long fight. The next major event will be the mid term elections in November. We need to keep up the pressure and the republican party needs to get off it's ass and really put up a very public fight. Worst scenario is everything that gets passed now will be repealed in three years.
Pardon my lack of clarity. You have a way with words I admire. I was not asking if you wanted to win. The question was what is your strategy? The Tea Party, the Palinites, and others that seem to have a different agenda, are nothing more than a sacred conscience, they are embarrassing to us who embrace conservatism, who are uneasy at being reminded what it is that we stand for. After all, we allowed this to happen. Taken to the extreme, revisit the Holocaust. The worst case scenario is the loss of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
No..thats an unacceptable option and I do not see that as a viable scenario at this time in our history. You are right when you said there are too many voices all speaking a different "language". Some one needs to step up and bring all these voices together into one. Unfortunately I don't see anyone out there who is capable of doing that right now. Till then we must find our common ground and chip away at the majority in the house and the senate until we get the mix we want. As long as we can vote the power is still in our hands. What can be done can also be undone.
God bless you. Don’t look and wait for a leader, look in the mirror. Many waited for a “leader” and chose Obama. You and I speak “different language” but I understand you. Do you understand me? Imagine the worst “viable” event and plan accordingly “now”, not later. WWII cannot be undone.
No it can't but it can serve as a warning to us and future generations as to what can happen when people turn their backs on their neighbors and other humans that are suffering. That we must always question our leaders and not accept them on blind faith. I would love to say there will never be another holocost but we have already scene several since WW II. My mother in law's family was wiped out by the Nazi's. Only she and her sister survived the camps. So I do understand what you are saying and I know what you mean. I just wish other people could understand the dangers we face.
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