I’ve never in my left felt it necessary to pay so much attention to what my government is up to while I’m simply trying to live my life. Perhaps I may at least owe the Obama administration a thank you for forcing me to be even more politically diligent, but somehow I don’t feel very thankful to my president at the moment; instead I feel political fatigue and the soft tyrannical abuse of my government. This government is so overwhelming the people with its overreaching, overarching agenda that we’ve become a politically punch-drunk populace.
When work is over, at the end of my long hard day, having earned roughly 40% for me and 60% for the government, all I want to do is come home, spend some time with my wife, maybe write a little, or get a workout in—generally enjoy the fruits of my pursuit of happiness, not worry about mine and my family’s future being subverted before my eyes.
But with this government power onslaught I find myself reduced to a TV news junkie, sifting through the alphabet soup of channels to find those programs with honest information, fair interviews, and the balanced debates I need to make informed decisions. I don’t need to know how many times the First Lady can swing a hula-hoop; I need to now how many times, and how deeply, the government plans to dig into my pocket over the next few years.
I remember being politically aware early on, especially since first registering to vote as an eighteen year old Libertarian in 1978, during the abysmal Carter administration. (I’ve since become a—small “l” libertarian). However, I’ve never felt as beat up as an American citizen as I have during this past year. I walk around with that weird feeling that I’m always being watched, or followed—an oppressive feeling indeed. It’s like if I turned around quickly I’d find the government inspecting me for proper political attitude and castigating me as a tea-bagging, dangerous, racist, gun-clinger if I don’t. I’m expected to accept him as my American president, which I do, but he apparently doesn’t accept me as his American citizen.
Thomas Jefferson said, “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.” Never has this statement been truer than it is today, especially with this current president and congress. I no longer care about the “R” and “D”, or for that matter, “L,” after a politician’s name; I care about whether or not they care about my liberty.
I am still an optimist though; George Washington’s extraordinary perseverance during our most improbable American Revolution and early years of our constitutional republic gives me confidence to look forward to a better, more free, America, despite current activities to subvert liberty. I was watching a show one time where a Russian character, who’d obviously grown up in the old U.S.S.R. says something like, “That’s the thing about you Americans; while the rest of the world expects the worst, Americans always think things will work out.” She hadn’t intended it as a compliment, but it really is.
But the critical question remains: will Americans step up to this latest leftist onslaught against individual freedom? Are there more people who love liberty than there are people who love free stuff from the government? I believe America has enough liberty-loving patriots who will remain eternally vigilant, and will continue to venture out of their comfort zones to do the things necessary to retain our God-given and constitutionally ordained individual rights.
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