I’ve had to ask myself this question: “Are political parties evil?” I believe that the groups aren’t evil, but I do believe that there are evil people with evil agendas in both parties and beyond.
As for what I believe, I believe in liberty, my Facebook profile lists my political views as “Lover of Liberty.” I believe, as I understand that the Founding Fathers believed, that all men are created equal. That is not to say that we are equal in status or in our current situation, but that we are created with equal opportunity to make progress to our potential. We were all created with equal potential and it is our individual choice and responsibility to recognize that and to act to reach that potential.
I believe that we all have potential beyond our understanding and that the role of government is to help ensure that we will not be limited, by outside influences such as criminals, governments, etc. from pursuing that potential. I believe that anything that attempts to limit that pursuit is inherently evil. There are individuals and organizations that act in order to control individuals or to attempt to limit or dis-incent individuals from pursuing their potential. A government should protect its citizens from people and organizations that have the intent to control and limit others progress.
The challenge that we often face is that governments are the entities attempting to control citizens and they neglect to protect its citizen’s right to pursue their potential. The government often does this in the name of “safety” or by insisting or legislating that citizens be “politically correct” in their speech or actions, On a more conspiratorial view, the people in control of the government often use the power that they have, by virtue of their involvement in the government, to perpetuate their ability to control or to have power over others.
A citizen’s acceptance of this situation is often based in the belief that these activities are to help ensure the “general welfare” of the citizens, and because of this belief, they are blinded to the possibility that the motives behind these activities could be more about control and power than the general welfare. This is where our individual responsibility comes in. We have to responsibly discern the motives behind both individuals and the government. Once we’ve made that determination, then we need to act within our ability to influence the situation, which would be through our votes and our involvement in the political process.
I have often said, “True freedom can only be robbed by ones unwillingness to live with the responsibility of it.” We have to take responsibility for our individual liberty and the liberty of our families and fellow citizens. One of the reasons that I am trying to reinforce my own understanding of the Constitution and its origins, and why I am trying to help others grow their understanding is reinforced by this quote from Patrick Henry, “The Constitution is not a document for the government to restrain the people: it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.”
I urge you to take this responsibility seriously. Strive for a better understanding of the Constitution and its origins. Work for a better understanding of what we as anxiously engaged “Lovers of Liberty” can do to impact our society’s understanding of the constitutional principles that have benefited our country for over 200 years. Additionally, help our society renew the belief in and to embrace those principles, to help our country exist and thrive for the next 200 year,