“We are a nation of laws, not of men”. Thomas Jefferson, Founding Father.
“When our nation’s laws are flouted by the political leadership it is only a matter of time until the populace shows the same disrespect for law and order”, John Adams, Founding Father
They seemed to be wise men predicting our future some 200 years later.
What are we witnessing today? Who are we?
Most of us are in the business of bringing back the good vision of America…How do we do that? Time is of the essence so what must we do in the next day, the next month, the next year? When will things change? Not before you demand it. Is there a sense of urgency, or not?. These questions will define who America is going forward.
A lot has happened in just the last year in our country and around the world. Incredibly, our memory, shaped by what we hear today in our media drives a forgetful phenomenon. More unfortunately, these misrepresentations reenforce this forgetful phenomena. Events that would have changed public opinion, today are quickly forgotten.
The debacle called an ‘exit from Afghanistan’ was written in the disappearing ink of partisan politics. The death of 13 Americans and the many left behind are an asterisk on the accounting of a twenty year sacrifice of blood and treasure. Unless you are a veteran or come from a family of veterans, you cannot appreciate the 70 Billion dollars of US military equipment left behind, making the Taliban a legitimate military force. The price we paid over the last 20 years did not deserve this ending.
Who can deny the corruption related to the 2020 election process or Hunter’s laptop, both the victim of disappearing ink.
Over the last two years, many of the things we enjoyed as a freedom loving country became compromised and many of the metrics that made America the envy of the world disappeared.
A sudden tolerance for crime, including violent crime, an unimaginable commitment to opening our borders to the unfiltered incursion of illegal immigrants. More critically, the infusion of deadly fentanyl and other drugs into our most vulnerable societal elements underpins the domestic enemy our forefathers warned us of but which we have never adequately defined. It is here and it is now. And we are unprepared to defeat it.
Look at the statistics: Professor Joseph Olson of Hemline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the 2020 Presidential election:
Number of States won by: Democrats: 19 Republicans: 29
Square miles of land won by: Democrats: 580,000 Republicans: 2,427,000
Population of counties won by: Democrats: 127 million Republicans: 143 million
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Democrats: 13.2 Republicans: 2.1
Professor Olson adds: ‘In aggregate, the map of the territory Republican won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of this great country. Democrat territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off various forms of government welfare’.
Is the majority of our nation driving our agenda? I think not.
On the down side, unchecked inflation, food shortages and, probably most important, an attempt to fatally alter energy in a world that needs it badly, has taken us from global leadership to court jester on the world stage. On the upside, good cops, acts of kindness and military competence are still strengths but you would never know it if you follow “the news”.
The very vocal minority is overriding our Democratic process.
Where are all these silent people? Too comfortable to engage? Maybe but probably not. Uninformed? Possibly. Willing to engage? We’ll see. Dependent on their Representatives? Probably so but there needs to be a trust but verify dimension.
Confidence in our country and its leadership has radically diminished, at least among the informed and concerned. The only hope remaining is that the backbone of our democracy is strong enough to right the ship and recover the fundamental precepts that made this country the beacon of freedom for the rest of the world.
So….when will things change?
When you demand it and when you individually decide the current path will destroy the future for our children and grandchildren. They will inherit either your strong DNA of defense of our liberties or your weak DNA that follows the lemmings over the cliff. The future of our nation is truly in your hands, maybe for the first time in our history.
Democracy is a participation sport. There was never a greater need to participate than now.
About the author:
Capt. Tom Burbage is a Naval Academy graduate, former Navy Test pilot and industry leader. He is working with a group of concerned individuals to change the focus of our military and specifically our Service Academies.