Opus 2026-322: Mini Declarations

Our minds are on the 250th anniversary of the country.  I’ve urged you to read the Declaration of Independence.  Millions of Americans will go out and shoot off fireworks.  Thousands of policeman will be out writing citations on those Americans who are celebrating their liberty without permission of the central government.  We live in interesting times.  One of the reasons why people might celebrate important events less is because those who are in charge of regulating our behavior, make it harder and harder to express enthusiasm or commitment.

Do you live in a city that has outlawed fireworks?  I’m sure it was done for your safety.  I’m sure it’s because they didn’t want you to burn your house down.  I’m sure they knew that you were one of those people who would not realize you were supposed to let go of firecracker after you lit the fuse.  Such people to exist.  I’m not sure if sifting out the jean pool isn’t worth a little freedom in danger.  All people are not known for their common sense.  I think of one relative of a student I had who evidently shot himself three times while cleaning his gun.  My guess is he’s a bad shot.  Most people would learn the first time, if they missed.  They would learn another lesson if they struck home.  I’m still asking myself:  How do you shoot yourself cleaning a gun when the first thing you work on is the barrel?

That having been said, we need to say more.  We need to be constantly on the alert to speak up.  A Declaration of Independence doesn’t mean much when all the talking is done in the hall in Philadelphia.  The document had to be delivered.  The document had to be lived out on a daily basis.  We need to take that seriously.

As we watch the forces of Marxism penetrate into all areas by culture, we see them doing everything they can to take away the liberties that were given to us by God and recognized in the first 10 amendments to the constitution.  We have a three standards given in the declaration of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  A good number of the laws that come out of your local city councils, county seats, state capitals, and of course Congress are designed to take away those liberties.  We need to get in the habit of constantly speaking up while we can still hope that that speaking up might do some good.

It’s kind of like witnessing and doing evangelism though.  You’re not going to get a lot of visible response.  Many people will turn you off.  You might lose friends.  You will get invited to fewer parties.It still needs to be done.  I wrote recently about going into a store which had a sign saying no concealed carry and informing the manager that I would not be shopping at his store.  I don’t think I made any big splash. I  asked him to pass it on up the chain.  I doubt if he did.  But we need to make people aware that the default of the masses of Americans is not that of sock puppets.  We need to speak up while we still can.  We need to ask people when they’re shooting off fireworks, what are you celebrating.  We need to ask people if they’re gathered on the hill watching the official government agency, shootout fireworks, why aren’t we doing this ourselves?

Short comments.  Penetrating questions.  A smiling countenance.  And add to that the concept that the apostle Paul gave us a praying without ceasing.  Our hope is that we can get the country back on the right track without having to resort to violence.  Make the little declarations so that the big declaration has some significance.