REFLECTIONS ON THE FOURTH OF JULY

Greetings!

I hope everyone out there has an enjoyable and safe 4th of July weekend.
As a Constitutional conservative, I believe it is important to take a bit of time and reflect upon our founders, who at great risk to themselves and their families, took up arms against what they believed to be a tyrannical and unjust government. Although we tend to associate the 4th of July with the ultimate result of their effort- the creation of a free and independent constitutional republic, we must remember that the 4th of July could perhaps best be described as the “end of the beginning.”

Despite what some may believe, the time period leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence was one of uncertainty. Although many of our founders were steadfast proponents of separation from very early on, there were others who were less certain about the proper course to pursue. Partly out of fear of the might of the British military, many at the time were more inclined to submit to the will of the crown, rather that pursue a course that would assuredly lead to violence. For some, the thought of breaking ties with the crown was simply heretical, despite openly acknowledging the many transgressions that had occurred. Such people recognized that problems existed and necessitated rectification, but none the less had great difficulty in stepping outside of their psychological comfort zone and embracing a new and untried course. Some of these people would eventually be swayed into supporting independence, but others simply refused to make such a transformation, regardless of the evidence presented.

Yet the fact that the Declaration of Independence was eventually drafted and signed shows that a definitive point in time was reached when the bulk of society finally realized that the paradigm had unequivocally shifted, and that the time to take action had finally arrived. The people had come to realize that the old way of doing things was no longer possible, and that a new course was necessary. It was accepted that freedom was in fact worth pursuing, but that to achieve it, a long road paved in blood, sweat, and tears would first have to be travelled.

We are today faced with a similar situation in that we will eventually have to come to terms with the true nature of the problems we are encountering. Many of us have for sometime realized that our current course is unsustainable and will ultimately lead to ruin if left unchecked. Others are just now starting to grasp the magnitude and scope of the predicament we are in. And of course, there are those who will continue to assert that there are no problems, that Government knows best, and that we must perpetuate the status quo because that is how things have always been done. Just as it was over two centuries ago, we are now faced with the same questions and problems that faced our nation’s founders- Do we move forward with a firm understanding that our past choices are what brought us to where we are today? That me must reverse course and embrace fiscal responsibility and a smaller, less intrusive government? Or do we attempt to perpetuate the unsustainable by refusing to acknowledge our past mistakes and thereby commit or children to a life of mediocrity?

On the 4th of July we will celebrate men who had the strength of character to put the past behind them and embark on an uncertain and dangerous journey in the pursuit of individual liberty. As you enjoy this weekend, please contemplate how hard it must have been to come to such a conclusion, and then consider the situation we are facing as a community and as a country. Our founders gave us the tools necessary to peacefully achieve the change that in their day, required the sacrifice of everything they had every worked for or cherished; for some even there own lives or the lives of their children. Our efforts will hopefully not require such sacrifices, but it will nonetheless be a long and hard journey, likely spanning decades, and it will require a steadfast devotion to our ideals and our principles. The problems we are facing can be rectified if we are willing to step forward, like our founders, and accept that the past must be put to rest. Like many of you, I am looking forward to the day when we can look back and say with certainty “that was the day that marked the end of the beginning, the day when we once again stood up and embraced the animating contest of freedom.”

Your friend in Liberty,
James Maillette
www.mailletteforsheriff.com
715-889-3550

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