Today is election day. I know we're all sick of this election season. Both of the major candidates have inundated us with ads filled with political spin. I'm kind of a political nerd, and I'm sick of it. I can't even imagine what normal people feel like.
But I'm not here to talk about either candidate. I'm here to talk about the sacred privilege that many of us take for granted.
We're all familiar with the story of how the American Revolution came to be. One of the most well known phrases from that era is, "Taxation without representation is tyranny". Colonists were angry, not about the taxes themselves, but about the lack of representation. Put simply, they were angry that they didn't get to vote.
The 56 men who signed the declaration of independence all suffered greatly. Many died, others lost their wealth, their friends, their children and their wives. They believed in a simple dream of freedom. An important part of that freedom was the right to choose representatives who will safeguard your beliefs, your ideals and your vision of liberty.
Later, after the Civil War, there was a movement to help black men gain the right to vote, to have their voices heard within government. And still later, women had to fight their own fight to gain this right of suffrage.
In each of these cases, individuals had to fight. Some had to give their lives, others had to fight the battle of words in the arena of ideas. In all cases, the individuals were passionate about one simple principle. They simply wanted to vote for their representatives.
Today, we have the opportunity to choose our representatives, both at the local level and the national level. We get to choose the President of our nation, as well as our representative in Congress (and other representatives as well, depending where you live.)
Unfortunately, many people do not value this right that was so highly prized by previous generations. Please remember the battles that were fought so that you could have this right. Remember that every election affects you. You will pay the taxes that are imposed by your government. You will have to live by the laws that are passed. You will have to live within the culture that is created.
Please study the issues. Please go out and vote today, even if your vote cancels out mine.
Normally, I pride myself on being a fairly positive person. Unfortunately, I'm not feeling very positive right now so I apologize in advance for the somewhat negative approach of this post. I just watched the speech of our new President Elect. Our country has just elected the most socialist leader that we've had to date. Why am I concerned by this? Well, I'd like to share a quote by someone I respect greatly both for the position he held as Prophet, Seer and Revelator as well as the position he held in government as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. Of course I speak of Ezra Taft Benson. In a BYU devotional he gave in 1968, he told the following story:
“I have talked face to face with the godless communist leaders. It may surprise you to learn that I was host to Mr. Khrushchev for a half day when he visited the United States, not that I’m proud of it. I opposed his coming then, and I still feel it was a mistake to welcome this atheistic murderer as a state visitor. But, according to President Eisenhower, Khrushchev had expressed a desire to learn something of American Agriculture — and after seeing Russian agriculture I can understand why. As we talked face to face, he indicated that my grandchildren would live under communism. After assuring him that I expected to do all in my power to assure that his and all other grandchildren will live under freedom he arrogantly declared in substance:
“ ‘You Americans are so gullible. No, you won’t accept communism outright, but we’ll keep feeding you small doses of socialism until you’ll finally wake up and find you already have communism. We won’t have to fight you. We’ll so weaken your economy until you’ll fall like overripe fruit into our hands.’
Mason Weaver, a favorite author of mine, said something similiar when defining the difference between socialism and communism in his book, It's OK to Leave the Plantation he said: "A communist is a socialist in a hurry. Socialism is a gradual process on many fronts. It will grow on you like cancer. Communism is the result of a revolution and is very rapid. We are ready for communism, but are defenseless against the onslaught of socialism."
It honestly scares me when I think of the shape that our economy is in right now and I imagine what more social programs will do as they continue to tax our economy. Our society has become so inundated with the mentality of entitlement. Citizens of our country are slowly trading their dignity, self reliance and self respect for the easy road of handouts. Of course, many will ask, "what of those in need? Shouldn't the government help them?" The answer is no. That is not the role of government. That is the role of private charities and churches, most of which are very good at it. (The welfare program of the LDS church is truly phenomenal.)
In his book, The Mainspring of Human Progress Henry Grady Weaver said:
"Most of the major ills of the world have been caused by well-meaning people who ignored the principle of individual freedom, except as applied to themselves, and who were obsessed with fanatical zeal to improve the lot of mankind-in-the-mass through some pet formula of their own ... The harm done by ordinary criminals, murderers, gangsters, and thieves is negligible in comparison with the agony inflicted upon human beings by the professional 'do-gooders,' who attempt to set themselves up as gods on earth and who would ruthlessly force their views on all others - with the abiding assurance that the end justifies the means."
I could go on forever about the danger our country is in. But I won't further bore those of you that actually read this far. I apologize again for my negative nature. I'll try to make my next post happy and joyful. But, for now, enjoy this tongue in cheek video that Glenn Beck made to commemorate the new regime.
