A legacy is defined as, “something from past: something that is handed down or remains from a previous generation or time.” There are all kinds of legacies. Some, like a family name, are associated with wealth, power, or political position. Such is the case when you mention the names Kennedy and Rockefeller. On the other hand, mention the names Marcos, Stalin, or Hitler and you have get images of the abuse of power and the infringement of rights and liberties.

Over the course of time a legacy might change. For instance, a family born into poverty, might through the industriousness of one, lead to a lifestyle of wealth and privilege. Such is the case of many of the self-made millionaires who worked hard, and worked their way from poverty to become leaders of industry or finance. Of course the opposite can also apply. A person may be born into a family of stature and power and then due to the mismanagement of their wealth, lead their family into ruin.

However, people, and families are not the only things that can bestow a legacy upon posterity, nations can do so as well. By the actions of the leaders of a nation, they can bestow upon posterity a legacy of freedom, or a legacy of servitude and suffering.

From its very beginning, our nation was built upon the principle of liberty and our God-given rights. Our nations founding documents are rife with references to those principles, and it was the sincerest desire of our founders that their legacy to posterity be freedom from an oppressive government.

During our nations early years, and its battle for independence, and struggle to create a system of government based upon the principles of liberty and individual rights, many a great man rose to the task at hand. In passing, they left us with a plethora of material to study, and ponder over, to ensure that we would be able to hold on to those principles.

Samuel Adams was one of these men. Second cousin to our nations second President John Adams, Samuel Adams was an early proponent of independence from the British Crown.

After our nation had won its independence, and established its own system of government, Adams wrote the following, “The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil Constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men.”

Adams speaks of the legacy bestowed upon us by men who fought and died so that we might live as free men. He says it will bring an everlasting mark of infamy upon the generation that allows their freedom to be wrested from them without even a struggle.

I wonder what Adams would think about us now, as we have not only allowed our government to severely infringe upon our rights and our liberty, but we have willingly voted for people who made it clear that was what they intended to do?
Henry Louis “H.L.” Mencken, was a noted journalist, magazine editor, and satirist. He is also regarded as one of the most influential writers of his time. Mencken once said, “The average man does not want to be free. He simply wants to be safe.” While I agree with Mencken’s view in regards to most Americans, my question is why?

Could the reason be that along with rights come the responsibility associated with them? Gerald W. Johnson was another journalist, as well as friend to H.L. Mencken. He once said, “No man was ever endowed with a right without being at the same time saddled with a responsibility”

When a person is endowed with true liberty, they are solely responsible for their actions, and their successes, or failures. Under a system where the people are truly free and independent, there is no government safety net, so social service programs to catch you when you fall. There is no one to bail you out if you make mistakes that leave you destitute.

The idea of accepting responsibility for every decision you make scares the hell out of some people. They would rather give up a few of their liberties in return for the assurance that government will be there to take care of them if they screw up. However, as Ben Franklin once said, “Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.”

People are unwilling to accept the blame for their own mistakes. They, instead, choose to blame society, their parents, or their upbringing in general, for all their faults. That may work well upon a sympathetic public, all too eager to cure all the worlds problems, but for those who understand that we are ultimately responsible for our own actions, that philosophy just doesn’t pass muster. As Albert Einstein once said, “Man must cease attributing his problems to his environment, and learn again to exercise his will – his personal responsibility.”

The belief that society is to blame for all your problems and mistakes will not fly when it comes to Judgment Day either. According to the Book of Revelation, Chapter 20, verse 12, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”

There will be no plea bargaining with the Lord for your mistakes. You will pay the penalty for your sins. Don’t you think now would be a good time to begin practicing that concept?

Getting back to the point of this article, we have allowed, over time, our government to grow far beyond what the founders intended. Whether you believe that it is just government, or if you believe as I do, that there are people behind our government pulling their strings, you cannot deny that our government does not abide by the limits placed upon it by the Constitution. You cannot deny that it no longer abides by the principle of individual liberty and the safeguarding of your God given rights.

Eventually there will come a time, when almost all will realize that their government has reduced them to mere servants, when it should have been the other way around the whole time.

Society cannot allow their rights to be infringed upon forever, and expect to consider themselves free and independent. Therefore, the question for you is, where is your line in the sand? At what point in time are you going to say enough is enough?

Before you answer, take a moment to seriously ponder the direction this nation is going. If you can, follow the imaginary course we are on to its final destination. Is that the legacy you want to leave to your posterity?

“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?“

~ The Author ~
Neal Ross can be reached for comments at bonsai@syix.com. Visit Neal’s Blog at http://www.zombie-slayer.com/neal

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