Politics

I read an essay by Pete Evans. What caught my eye was this section of his essay:
“I should add that I am NOT a rascist, a bigot, a Nazi, or anything similar that I may get called after I post this. In fact I don’t think I have hated anyone in my life and doubt whether I ever will, certainly not my country. I just vehmenently dislike terrorists and those who support them; in any way.

Follow up:

I also have a total disregard for anyone who hurts their country by attacking an elected government because it is fashionable to do so at this point in their lives, ignores the fact that any action has a reaction and denies all responsibilities.”

Mr. Evans’ point is very interesting though it did bring up a group that in today’s political and social climate would be called terrorists and traitors. Below is a brief overview of the group with some quotes by key members of the group. I also have placed sections of their Manifesto for people to read. I think their radical and total dedication to their agenda is admirable and should be emulated by all of us. But then again it is an American tradition to question authority and to resist the government when the government is wrong.

Remembering the SOL 56

For 2 years their whereabouts were shielded from the legal government as they first attempted to address grievances the government did to the people. When the process failed they then planned to overthrow the legal government. They established a system that did do damage to public property, maim and kill government officials as well as conspire with an outside government to overthrow the existing government. These co-conspirators fomented decent among the population, they held a minority view which was not held by 66% of the people. They pushed on with their demands for recognition to the government while they met in secret places to map out their political and social agenda.

The SOL 56 did create such an untenable position to reconcile with the legal government it was not difficult to see why troops were sent to squelch the vocal minority’s increased radical political and social agenda. The SOL 56 supported and condoned the destruction of government property, stockpiled weapons and munitions, ambushed government troops while doing their duty, hijacked convoys of supplies, solicited arms, money and troops from a foreign super power and spread misinformation about the legal government and their activities.

Some quotes of the SOL 56 that live forever in the hearts of those that support their vision, their resolve and their integrity:

1. “In short, the flames kindled … have spread over too much of the globe to be extinguished by the feeble engines of depotism; on the contrary, they will consume these engines and all who work them.”

2. “Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God.”

3. “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; ‘tis dearness only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed, if so celestial an article as Freedom should not be highly rated.”

4. “For protecting them, by a mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states;
For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world;
For imposing taxes on us without our consent;
For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury;
For transporting us beyond seas, to be tried for pretended offenses; “

5. “The basis of our political system is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government . . .”

6. “God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty . . . And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.“

7. “When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

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,—That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government …”

For those that are unfamiliar with American History the SOL 56 are better known as our Founding Fathers. Yes they did overthrow a legal government and they did believe in “Questioning the Government” and to change the government if it did not listen to the people. Therefore, for those that believe we, as American’s should not actively question our government’s actions should go back and read about the history of our country other than a superficial treatment that we got in High School. For questioning the government is an American Tradition and when our rights are silenced, suppressed or oppressed we lose what the Founding Fathers fought and died.

In addition, before you get crazy and accuse me of being Anti-American, I am a veteran, I support the troops but I do not support the policies of our government that has our troops’ blood to be spilled in a far off place. I do exercise my God given right to ask questions of my government. If more of our citizens had asked more questions we may not have our civil rights being abridged or our troops placed in harm’s way because of a policy based on the self-interest of Big Oil and their paid “elected” minions.

Quote 1 and 6 are from Thomas Jefferson.
Quote 2 is from Benjamin Franklin.
Quote 3 is from Thomas Paine.
Quote 5 is from George Washington.
Quote 4 and 7 are from the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America.