Independence Day; Let The Amendments Ring

It’s heartwarming to see so many people coming together and showing some home-town pride on this day. There’s no place like America. Go anywhere and ask anyone, they’ll all tell you the same thing. The American land, and the American people are like no others. We work, fight, and think harder than anyone else. Yet, let’s take a moment to remember what this day is really about.

The signing of the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, and the Bill of Rights were all meant to be our deliverance from tyranny. Sadly, thanks to the help and support of generations of corrupt politicians we have fallen back to exactly that, TYRANNY. It may be sugar coated, dressed up, misrepresented, and grossly misunderstood, but it’s still tyranny. It goes to every level of government in every municipality, and hurts many people or just a few. While we’re out shooting off fireworks and having our cookouts, there is that cast of American citizen who is basking in the losses and struggles of the common person.

Want an example? I have one for you. I must warn you, this is only one example in one little corner of America. It has to do with my interpretation of the 2^nd Amendment and the rights we have as citizens. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, THE 2^ND AMENDMENT ISN’T SOLELY ABOUT GUNS! We’ve become so convoluted to our own rights that we seldom take the time to really see what rights we have. 2A gives us the right to control our government, the guns were just there. Now, on to my example.

If you ever get to middle Georgia, you may hear folks speak of the Oaky Woods Wildlife Management Area. This was a huge tract of land which use to be owned by a timber company, with hunting rights leased to the state for license-buying sportsman to enjoy. When the investment had fully matured for the timber company, around 2004, they decided to auction the land off. The state had the chance ot buy the land for $1600 per acre, give or take. The deal was blocked by Governor Perdue, who said the state didn’t have the money for the purchase. The timber company offered to hold the land at the auction price until the state had the money, to no avail.

A huge tract of land ended up being sold to a wealthy group of investors, who “coincidentally” happened to be friends, campaign donors and fundraising partners of the then Governor. According to the December 9, 2010 edition of The Telegraph the buying price of this land was $1600 per acre. Within a few short years they were able to sell the land back to the state for $2,874 an acre. That’s $12,224,030 in profit, before you factor in the money made through a land lease to the state and the timber taken off the property. Let’s not forget, the Governor himself was able to acquire 110 adjacent acres on the day BEFORE the bidding ended.

Sure, there were groups who put together Web sites to protest the sale. There was news articles, which made it seem like just another day at the office. The focus in the press shifted from the huge profits and shady business practice to making the people feel good about the better than 10,000 acres that remained. Eventually, as often happens in politics, the people began to settle and the millions of dollars quietly slipped into the pockets of just a scant few. Even the leaders of the groups who opposed the deal eventually rolled over and praised the valiant Governor. You’re welcome, boys. Glad to see all the money We the People paid for licenses could be used to maintain land that would someday benefit you.

So how is this an example of my original point? The 2^nd Amendment reads "A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Everyone reads this and gets hung up on the right to have guns. That is what it says, but it’s not all that it means. The founding fathers didn’t leave you the right to have a gun, they expected you were going to have one anyways. It can be argued this statement, which is a cornerstone of our list of freedoms, means we need to be ready to use our tobacco-chewing, cowboy hat-earing American heads to come together and protect ourselves when the need arises.

We have the right to a free state, meaning we have an obligation to responsibly elect officials into office and kick their silk-suited asses out when they begin to take advantage of the people. Governor Sonny never got what he deserved, because We the People didn’t know we have the right to form as a militia and march to the doorstep of the Capital building and demand things be right. “Sorry, Mr. G, you can’t go home tonight. You have some phone calls to make to amend for the abuse of power.” Never once was something like that said. The wheels of corruption turn, and the spoils go to the ones of privilege.

Behind the fireworks, cookouts, beer parties, and time with family there is the idea of freedom. We the People wrenched our own destiny out of the hands of a greedy monarch and forged our own way. Still, we live in a time and place where that simple human greed permeates our society and controls us still. I can lay a wager that if most of us thought hard we know of a corrupt county sheriff, town mayor, commissioner, state governor, or other politician who has abused power for their own personal gain, or the gain of a constituent. These are the very people who spit on the concept of how we are supposed to live as citizens.

You can go the route of some of our modern activist groups and loot, rob, block freeways, and generally piss people off, if that’s the kind of person you are. Or, you can take advantage of your 2^nd Amendment rights to form a well-regulated group of thinking individuals, to insure a free state by baring their intellectual arms to secure the rights that are so often taken away.  On this day, 241 years ago, they signed the document that gives this and many other rights to We the People.

Happy Treason Day!!!!!!!!!!