A little thought just popped into my head. I was trying to figure out how to put into words what I’ve been feeling about the upcoming election and I think I may have a working metaphor. Forgive me if you think this overly melodramatic but I must admit I have been most profoundly affected by this presidential election and the choice of possible outcomes. The reason probably lies with concern for my kids and the kind of world they stand to inherit.
Anyway…. I was just thinking of the movie, Braveheart. The scene is very near the end of the movie as William Wallace, after being betrayed and captured, lies bound to a table, helpless before his executioner in the public square. As he is being tortured, (methodically disemboweled) before facing the guillotine, he musters up all he has left and with his last breath he utters a mournful, plaintive and defiant cry of, “Freedom!”
Will it be thus for The United States of America? I have truly come to believe an Obama presidency will result in the dismemberment of our dear country as we know it. For we are about to exchange liberty for “change” and it is clear to me that the “change” of which Obama speaks is not freedom but a governmental yoke, hung about the head and shoulders of every citizen. And there are those with whom this has apparently found favor, the only requirement being that everyone else is also equally yoked.
Freedom carries with it the opportunity to succeed and the potential to fail. Apparently, faced with a large enough number of recent failures, our country now wants to turn away from freedom. Perhaps this is because we think the price is too high. Perhaps we are tired or lost and seek the comfort of the yoke, for when we are shackled together we won’t have to make any more decisions on our own, rather we can just pull the cart and let someone else decide where to go. We can walk when we are told, stop when we are told, eat when we are fed, sleep when the sun goes down and never ever have to worry about anyone wandering away or, heaven forbid, going ahead of the rest of the herd.
But like that scene in the movie, I do hear a cry in these final days before the vote – a cry of “freedom!” and a warning that our very freedom as a people is at stake in this election. For it is freedom and liberty that has made this country great and it will be the surrender of freedom through the election of Barack Obama that may signal the final curtain for America.
Patrick Henry once declared, “Give me liberty or give me death”. I think he would be shocked to find his famous utterance has been drowned out by so many other voices. “Give me healthcare!” Give me bailout money!” Give me my house back!” Give me citizenship!” “Give me an abortion!”
Give me the yoke!
October 29th, 2008 8:36 am
Maybe it’s my age, but I have the same feeling. Perhaps if Obama wins it won’t turn out like you so eloquently described it, but the potential is certainly there. We stand to lose what makes us so unique and what Western Europe has lost…an identity. To stand for something…freedom, independence. I once had a Canadian tell me how much he admires the U.S. (this was shortly after 9/11) because it was so clear and obvious to everyone that we uniquely stand together as a country on the principle of freedom. So many other countries have lost it and we appear to be on the brink of having it seriously eroded. It never happens over night, but bit by bit…immigration, not fighting just causes around the world, weighing down the the citizens of this country who studied in school, got into college, worked hard in their chosen profession and became “successful” with the burden of subsidizing those that made different choices. We should be proud of our successful citizens and corporations. Instead, the Democratic party treats them like they have done something wrong. THEY DID IT EXACTLY RIGHT! That was the playbook that was laid out before us….before every citizen of this country. Is this now a surprise to people? “OH, so doing well in school or working hard at my job really works? Damn, I wish someone had told me that when I was younger!” “OH, fighting for citizens rights around the world and stopping oppression actually costs something?” Here’s the deal. I think most Americans are proud of what we do around the world. THey are proud when we go kick someone’s butt that has had it coming for decades. But we don’t want to pay the price any more. But when we STOP doing it, where is our pride going to come from? The fact that we don’t stand for anything any more? The residual pride from WW2 will eventually fade away as our last WW2 vets leave us and their sons and daughters as well. What is the UK proud of these days? What do they stand for? France? Germany? Their pride is tied up in their soccer teams. That’s about it. These once-proud nations have let their identities go by pandering to the lowest common denominator and ceasing to stand up for what made them great to begin with. I hope we wake up before it’s too late.