Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.In recent times it has been ruled that strippers and lap dancers in night clubs are not violating laws of moral conduct when they perform; their specific expression of creativity is somehow covered by the free exercise thereof or freedom of speech. Maybe I’m looking at this all wrong; perhaps it was the right of these people to peaceably assemble in close proximity, like table dancers coming in contact with more than willing patrons.
In 1989 the Supreme Court declared that flag burning was part of this freedom of speech, , a protected right to desecrate a sacred emblem; not much different than spitting in the face of every American citizen. The courts have taken the stance that almost any vulgar expression intended to impugn basic dignity, regardless of how repugnant, is covered by the God given right of expression.
. . .We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. . .
This falls into what I’d call a paradox of rationalization ; using rights obtained by God to justify acts which are clearly at odds with the behavior which God has declared corrupt or sinful. Thomas Jefferson wrote, in a letter to John Adams, “If ever the morals of a people could be made the basis of their own government it is our case . . .”
“The concept of Man's rights being unalienable is based solely upon the belief in their Divine origin. Lacking this belief, there is no moral basis for any claim that they are unalienable or for any claim to the great benefits flowing from this concept. God-given rights are sometimes called Natural Rights--those possessed by Man under the Laws of Nature, meaning under the laws of God's creation and therefore by gift of God.”
The all important guiding philosophy involved in the formation of our particular government; that God is the Author of our freedom, is something which has been glossed over by those intent on rewriting the history of our country. We have been quietly and carefully lulled into a state of diminished reasoning through a concerted effort by our public schools, our centers of higher learning, the news media and entertainment industry and other agents of the Devil himself; gosh, I hope that last line doesn’t aggravate the teacher’s unions, the mass media or the actor’s guild.
If we are to accept the God given rights, the rights that are fought over in every court that might hear such arguments, then we also must acknowledge the arrogance of those who would ignore the attached responsibility to adhere and be obedient to the life style which God expects of those whom He has blessed with these same rights. Rights do not come from government; to the contrary, rights need to be protected from government. Those who would deny the existence of God and that He alone bestows upon man these unalienable rights, these are the very ones who scream the loudest if they feel the least bit infringed upon by their neighbors.
I’d planned to post pictures I took with my digital camera; but my computer’s multimedia port has refused to download the images. Where’s my freedom of expression, my right to speak my mind? Maybe it’s just as well; these pictures would only make most of you very angry; images of spray painted windows at entry ways to our chapel and brick walls that will take many hours to clean off the crude “decorations” in black and white enameled gibberish.
Some members of our community visited our building during the night hours prior to the Independence Day celebration at our church building. They left our beautiful building covered with graffiti which will need to be removed. These independent thinkers, only trying to express their rights of free speech; kicked in the bottom glass panel on one of the entry doors making it inoperable; another item which will require time and effort to repair.
We had our pancake breakfast anyway, young children paraded about with traditional patriotic banners on decorated bicycles and we listened to talks by some of our honored military veterans. The choir sang America the Beautiful and tears ran down my cheeks as the words sank deep into my soul. The Spirit of America lives within us and so we celebrate; in spite of the degenerates who would destroy that which is sacred, our house of faith, our belief in each other’s rights and our belief in God.
As I close this Independence Day article I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the God given freedoms I enjoy this day. All the while I’ve been typing my DVD player and stereo system have been playing Yankee Doodle Dandy with all the patriotic music in the background. I might put on some slick leather shoes and dance down the stairs, clicking my heals with each landed step from the second floor as James Cagney did in his portrayal of George M. Cohan while exiting the White House after he received an award in recognition for his service to all America; but that’s pushing your imagination and my abilities a bit too far.
Those who have stayed with me this long deserve a bonus, “My mother thanks you, my father thanks you, my sister thanks you and I thank you.” Have a safe and memorable 4th of July, taking time to ponder that which has been provided.
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