A Republic, If You Can Keep It

At the close of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 a lady asked Ben Franklin, "What have we got - a republic or a monarchy?" "A republic," Franklin replied, "if you can keep it."

My patriotic spirit is stirred again within me after the events last night. The epic upheaval with the victory of Scott Brown in Massachusetts certainly had something to do with that. But there was something else last night that caught my attention.

Amidst the election commentary there was one individual who was interviewed - I don't even remember his name now - who had once been a high-ranking political figure and who had now written a book. What stood out to me was that he was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution. He was a direct descendant of someone (several men, in fact) who fought and died to give us the form of government we today are so quickly squandering. This man saw the high calling and responsibility his forefathers fought for, and he saw himself equally called to protect and preserve the nation they created and sacrificed for. Today the fight is different, but a fight nonetheless.

This author's story stirred me because, while I have never pulled all the required documentation together (and it does require a LOT of paperwork to join), I too am descended from the American Revolution. I could join the Daughters of the American Revolution or the Daughters of the Union Veterans of the Civil War. I had ancestors that fought in both. I too see the fight going on to preserve our nation today and, in some ways, I think it's more challenging today. Black and white aren't as clear cut as what they used to be, we live with a lot of gray tones. During the American Revolution it was easy to figure out -- just shoot the guy in the red coat! Today the battle grounds and the enemy look so different, look friendly even, perhaps even desirable. Yet the result would be loss of liberty just the same. The patriots that founded this country chose liberty over safety & security. Am I up to the responsibility that was left to me by my forefathers to continue the fight?

It's so easy to lose our way in just a generation or two. It's easy to look at what our parents and grandparents did to sacrifice for us -- they're here, they're tangible. What actor upon winning their first Oscar or Olympic athlete doesn't thank their parents for everything they did to bring them to that point? Yet only a few generations removed are people we never knew, yet people that gave everything -- their lives, their fortunes & their sacred honor -- so that we could live with the blessed freedoms we know as America. I suppose that's what frustrates me so much about people who aren't politically involved in this country. I'm not saying everyone has to be politically active marching at rallies and such, but everyone should at least be politically awake, their political barometers should be working to know when a hurricane & destruction is coming. The freedom of those who choose to do nothing has been built upon the backs of those who sacrificed and gave everything in order to have that liberty.

I have to say, I'm now convinced that the feral cats in our new neighborhood are truly demon-possessed, pulling my time and energy away from causes that really matter! But I'm back once again with a vengeance, my attentions re-directed, ready to once again champion the cause of liberty - for myself, my children and the generations that come after me.

The question is - Will you join me?