Memorial Day 2011-In memory of the giants who have come before and whose shoulders we stand upon
As much as the Tea Party, Big Business (deregulators), and Religious Conservatives love, absolutely love and cherish the founding fathers - I was wondering how much the founders would love them? Or are they those current admirers just that or more like stalkers?
Do these current revisionists just see the past through rose colored glasses?
Would the framers just be labelled leftist, or Communists or Socialist or would they fit the mold perfectly?
Have we evolved past the idea this is a Christian nation given that Christian fundamentalism is very much a cult avowed to believe and to make happen the second coming of Christ via or including ARMAGEDDON and all the death of humanity and blood deep to a horses bridle. Fundamentalist actually look forward to the rapture, as if their children and grand children don't have the same rights and responsibilities to an "earthly" existence? Scary cult stuff, right? Is it that the Christian backed Republican Party is louder and talk more than everyone else?
God was and is, for some, a part of this nation but it is not, nor has it EVER been, a requirement to be good american or human for that matter to be a born again. In spite of recent advertisement and rhetoric it is very rude and just plain wrong to think or say any religion is right or wrong-but it is ok to hold it up to public ridicule and embarrassment when it prevents the general welfare and tranquility of a nation or society as a whole.
Also, to address the scary abrahamic religious zealots who impose faith on politics-the founding fathers who you love to admire for all the wrong reasons were for the MOST part against factions (today political parties and religions are one of a number of factions which divide this country) which poison the public welfare and doesn't in any way promote domestic tranquility. The founders finally decided that if the new government were to work it would REQUIRE knowledgeable individuals (not scary people-spreading fear through religion or any other means) as a necessity to participate in a SUCCESSFUL federal (representative) democratic republic.
The founders did use common sense biblical notions, common to all the Abrahamic religions, and not apocalyptic fundamentalists to write the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
In fact, we all MUST oppose this oppressive current thought of the tea party and other wing conservatives. The founding fathers used a lot of "cutting edge" information and technology to making a nation, e.g. Thomas Paine's writings, Federalist contributors writings and Ben Franklin's writing, inventions (which he chose not to patent because he was such a MARXIST SOCIALIST COMMUNIST he believed everyone should benefit ). And in no way could one believe those great LIBERAL men we now call our founding fathers would want us today to rely solely on their 18th century ideas and morality and machines. Wouldn't they themselves want us today us all the great information and tools to evolve their systems and didn't they give us the tools the could to do just that?
I write liberal because that's what it took to "think outside of the box" of English domination and to effectively flip off King George and forge a new nation, under God. They were perplexed and pissed at the "conservatives" of their day for wanting to remain under the Crown and patch things up after their tea party. They didn't exclude the conservatives of their day the compromised with them and thus they left out the part about freeing the slaves (see Benjamin Franklin later efforts on abolition) and giving women the right to participate. See that was what the conservatives wanted, even though today we see how evil/wrong those conservative notions were. Wouldn't the conservatives of today be seen much like the Tories of then? Isn't it the same to go back to the King and the royal representatives for guidance?
Franklin and Jefferson and those other founding ninja gansta's were brave enough to take the risk of putting their lives and all their future on the line to advance their fellow man, not just American but of all people. Remember the founders wrote "we the PEOPLE " (not we - non-hispanic, non-black aryan conservative christian americans who live in gated communities and believe in the same god and go to the same church). Those writes and signers had a WORLD vision, and it wasn't what Ronald Reagan had...it went far beyond that in progressive liberal life for EVERYONE (they later wrote they'd come back and revisit the slave thing at least). And thus those founding fathers, and the new Americans of the Continental Army included inspired the wave of "democracy" the world (arab spring) is experiencing today in spite of this country leaders wanting to go the opposite direction which one would say moving backwards to the founding fathers or at least to the wonderful 1950's when our government persecuted "marxists," women and blacks and we American's enjoyed $.05 a gallon gasoline.
The world, then and now are watching - soon the French would follow and then others. The world has used the Continental Congress, its true power comes from the people, as torches for social change and a beacon to guide them from the waters of tyranny. Do we not only owe it to ourselves but to future generations and the world - to continue this grand liberal tradition of advancing basic human rights for everyone? Shouldn't we raise the bar instead of lowering it back to 18th century heights?
The founders were educated people (which includes their wives and daughters who wanted equality as well but didn't get it and still aren't really equal today) and very much aware of the problems which threatened our newly formed union. I have daughters and you too have women who deserve better opportunities too?
GEORGE WASHINGTON, Farewell Address, Sep. 17, 1796
However [political parties or factions?] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
1
1
1
