Apathy

Consider these two quotations:

"I have never learned to fight for my freedom. I was only good at enjoying it."

"Live free or die." (Thanks to Mark Steyn for the insights.)

The first comes from Belgian/Dutch (?) writer Oscar van den Boogaard. He also said, "I am not a warrior." The second is on the license plates of New Hampshire, from a Rev War general by the name of Stark.

I believe words have meaning, that ideas are powerful--if we choose to listen and act. Van den Boogaard was lamenting the loss of the freedoms of expression--speech, the press--in his homeland in the face of "diversity" (the Islamification of Europe), "political correctness," etc. it seems he has conceded. The freedoms are gone.

Are we headed the same way? Is the United States, because its citizens care more about American Idol, etc., doomed to lose its freedoms? I don't own guns, never will, and haven't shot one in 40 years or more. Yet, I fear the government's efforts to take away the 2nd Amendments rights. Why? Very simply, if some rights can be taken away, all rights can be taken, too.

Are people paying attention? I think they must not be. They, surely, can't agree with what has been happening since, well, last October. Can they? Now, let me be clear, this holds for Bush as well as Obama. The head of GM is canned because the President says so; Chrysler bondholders are forced to give up legitimate claims to their money because the President says so. Hey, even some of the financials are trying to give back the bailout money because they finally figured out there were strings attached to it. (Maybe that in itself goes a long way to explaining the mess!) And, nobody cares? Or, if someone does, the government redefines "terrorist" to perhaps include him/her? And, still, nobody cares?

I'm not asking people to fight or "die." I am asking people to be concerned. Pressure, lots of pressure, has to be brought on our elected officials. Political parties must be warned to give us candidates worthy of serving this nation and its people. If only a handful of us ever say anything to our Senators, Congressmen, the President, the Governor, our state represenatives, our school boards, etc., we can easily be ignored. After all, what can a handful of malcontents do? They can't keep officials from being elected or re-elected, not it most people don't care, are "sheeple," etc.

One day you might wake up and realize things have changed, not for the better. Then it might well be too late to consider the above quotations.