Pledge to America
Republicans in the US House and Senate yesterday issued a completely new and innovative message, the Pledge to America.
This document tells us how the Republicans will govern least for us, in our best interest, following their landslide victory in November, 2010.
Of course…
- They haven’t won their landslide victory…yet
- There is no governance plan in their Pledge
- They certainly did a great job when they were the majority player in the US Congress
But, lets take a look, shall we?
This may seem a small difference, but it's not: we have the opportunity to advance ourselves. We are not guaranteed our advancement as individuals or as communities within the whole.
“America is more than a country.
“America is an idea – an idea that free people can govern themselves, that government’s powers are derived from the consent of the governed, that each of us is endowed by their Creator with the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
“America is the belief that any man or woman can – given economic, political, and religious liberty – advance themselves, their families, and the common good.
“America is an inspiration to those who yearn to be free and have the ability and the dignity to determine their own destiny.”
The Declaration states that the people have the right to “alter or abolish” a government that denies them “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” through their consent. That’s a much more radical statement than “institute a new agenda and set a different course.”
“Whenever the agenda of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to institute a new governing agenda and set a different course.These first principles were proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, enshrined in the Constitution, and have endured through hard sacrifice and commitment by generations of Americans. In a self-governing society, the only bulwark against the power of the state is the consent of the governed, and regarding the policies of the current government, the governed do not consent.”
This, of course, is a fib. No one can claim that Obama’s goals have been unchecked. Americans in overwhelming numbers elected Barack Obama to the Presidency and Democrats to the House and Senate. And, the federal judiciary is largely composed of Republican appointees.
“An unchecked executive, a compliant legislature, and an overreaching judiciary have combined to thwart the will of the people and overturn their votes and their values, striking down long-standing laws and institutions and scorning the deepest beliefs of the American people.
“An arrogant and out-of-touch government of self-appointed elites makes decisions, issues mandates, and enacts laws without accepting or requesting the input of the many.”
The amazing thing is, that Republican policies caused the joblessness. Republicans entered us into two wars and paid for them through debt. And, Republicans have stonewalled and polarized the process so that not one budget authorization bill has yet passed this year.
“Rising joblessness, crushing debt, and a polarizing political environment are fraying the bonds among our people and blurring our sense of national purpose. Like free peoples of the past, our citizens refuse to accommodate a government that believes it can replace the will of the people with its own.”
Has our government replaced the will of the people with its own? The people voted Democrats into power in 2008 because of the economy and a desire for significant health insurance reform, or health care. That’s what Democrats have worked for and Republicans against. Do we demand a return to the 18th Century and a pre-industrial state? Really, someone should have paid attention in high school to US history.
“The American people are speaking out, demanding that we realign our country’s compass with its founding principles and apply those principles to solve our common problems for the common good. The need for urgent action to repair our economy and reclaim our government for the people cannot be overstated. With this document, we pledge to dedicate ourselves to the task of reconnecting our highest aspirations to the permanent truths of our founding by keeping faith with the values our nation was founded on, the principles we stand for, and the priorities of our people. This is our Pledge to America.”
Be careful what you wish for. The Defense of Marriage Act would be, by their definition, a usurpation of the Tenth Amendment. So would federal legislation limiting abortion or governing a state's right to regulate the medical use of marijuana.
“We pledge to honor the Constitution as constructed by its framers and honor the original intent of those precepts that have been consistently ignored – particularly the Tenth Amendment, which grants that all powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.”
Well, here is the strong summation, accusing the Democrats—all of whom are loyal citizens—of promoting servitude, restricted or no opportunity, a flaccid defense, and national poverty. If Republicans enact legislation to set morality, defend traditional marriage, and prohibit abortion, they run up against the Tenth Amendment.
After all, Republicans have never worked behind closed doors in political opaqueness, have always been careful stewards of the national trust, and completely honest in their dealings with US citizens.
Oh, and one can be a patriot only by joining and electing a new Republican majority into office. God help them. And us.
“We pledge to advance policies that promote greater liberty, wider opportunity, a robust defense, and national economic prosperity. We pledge to honor families, traditional marriage, life, and the private and faith-based organizations that form the core of our American values.
“We pledge to make government more transparent in its actions, careful in its stewardship, and honest in its dealings.
We pledge to uphold the purpose and promise of a better America, knowing that to whom much is given, much is expected and that the blessings of our liberty buoy the hopes of mankind.
“We make this pledge bearing true faith and allegiance to the people we represent, and we invite fellow citizens and patriots to join us in forming a new governing agenda for America.”