To Secure the Blessings of Liberty
Andrew G. Eggleston Sr.
whitesage12@hotmail.com

Credit The Libertarian Enterprise

Let me preface this weeks article by way of a bit of personal history; Twenty-Four years ago, when I was Fifteen (just about Sixteen), I was given a book to read by Johon Fritz, a good friend of mine who was a couple of years my senior. He and I were science-fiction fans and comic book enthusiasts, so it was no surprise for him to recommend or even give me a book (he was always a bit ahead of me on the learning curve)—but I couldn't quite pronounce the title of this one and there was a gorilla on the cover dressed and standing like a human being.

"Okay" I said, 'The Prob-a-bill-it-ee Br-aw-k?' "What's it about?"

"The Probability Bro-ch" he replied, "just read it, and tell me what you think."

Well the rest is history, and continues to spark debates and discussions to this day between my good friend Fritz and myself, but the one thing we agree upon almost immediately is that if a person is Libertarian (Fritz is Propertarian) they will disagree with other Libertarians. It has been shown time and again, however, if an unfairness (Initiation of Force) is as obvious and grotesque as, say, taxation, then we Libertarians agree that it is wrong, we don't always agree how to handle it, but we agree that it is wrong.

So the question for this week is; if we all agree that it is wrong, then how do we find a way to get together and do something to change it?

First and foremost, agree that if it (taxation for example) is wrong that it is our responsibility (see last week's article) as adults and people wishing to breathe free, to do something about it.

Second, as we have agreed that something must be done, and we are responsible enough to act, then it follows that we must ACT! Teach, learn, do, support, encourage, and donate, until change begins to happen.

With a nod to our de-facto "sage of the high plains" El Neil, I must agree that being part of a Libertarian Party-Club does not seem to accomplish anything—except waste our money and lazily surrender our responsibilities, to see that something gets done, to people we would not trust to watch our house while we are away on vacation. Yes, I am lazy, I don't like to cook every night, I don't like to do all of my chores everyday (my dishes pile-up sometimes), and I am Human! I cannot condone however, the acts of people, who's actions and policies I don't agree with, taking action and making policy on my behalf without so much as asking whether or not I agree with what they are doing! This is Social Collective thinking, that by virtue of our laziness, they can create policy that's best for us as Libertarians, because we don't know what's best for ourselves! Forget it! I know what's best for me, as L. Neil knows what's bet for he and his, as my girlfriend knows what's best for her and her children, as Fritz knows what's best for him and his son Little Fritz. Please see a sane pattern in my rambling, you know what's right for you and yours and no one else has the ability or the right (or moral high-ground or ethical expertise) to judge what is best for you and yours—only you have those Rights and Responsibilities.

In the 1800's there was a movement of like-minded people of all colors; to educate, legislate, verbally agitate, and in general make the public uncomfortable with the idea of Black slavery. One little lady made the movement front-page news with her best-selling book Uncle Tom's Cabin, it is said the novel (all of it was fiction) moved people as only the Bible had moved them before—Queen Victoria wept as she read the tragedy. Yes, for many it became "fashionable" to be an abolitionist, but for many more it became a genuine calling for which they would sacrifice their "Lives. . . Fortunes. . . and Sacred Honor." Passive Quakers, Jewish Merchants, White Farmers, and scores of others violated Federal Law (Fugitive Slave Act), risking fines and imprisonment—so that their freedom would not be a pale and sickly version of freedom while their black brethren remained in bondage. When the American Civil War commenced, it was not to end black slavery, but to bring those "misbehaving" secessionist states back into the "Union". Only through constant pressure did President Lincoln pass his Emancipation Proclamation, a useless piece of paper that did nothing to free any slaves. The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, an embarrassing compromise in American history only altered slavery. Slavery is still legal in the United States, "as punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted. . ." read that there is no specific type of crime, no level of criminality, and no statement about length of sentence. If you jaywalk, are ticketed, and found guilty, the judge has the right to impose a sentence, he deems appropriate, of slavery. My example is extreme, but so are our government's policies.

In the 1950's there was a movement of like-minded people of all colors; to educate, legislate, verbally agitate, and in general make the public uncomfortable with the idea of Black segregation. One little lady made the movement front-page news with her refusal to move to the back of the bus. It is said that people, from parts of the country not in the South, were shocked and dismayed that a person could be arrested, fined, and jailed, for not getting out of a seat on a public bus? Yes, for many it became "fashionable" to be part of "The Civil Rights Movement", but for many more it became a genuine calling for which they would sacrifice their "Lives. . . Fortunes. . . and Sacred Honor." Passive Preachers, Jewish Merchants, White College Kids, and scores of others violated Local Law, risking fines and imprisonment—so that their freedom would not be a pale and sickly version of freedom while their black brethren remained oppressed and segregated. The rights guaranteed by the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution would finally be enforced by the armies of the United States, until the people who would see those rights abridged finally surrendered to the attrition. But here is established the most dangerous precedent, American citizens who had pledged to abolish segregation, would see on television, the Federal Government involve itself, and they would become complacent in response, no longer being involved.

Today it is not our black Americans who are oppressed, nor is it those who are yellow, nor those who are brown—but all Americans. We all see the government involve itself in incidents such as Memphis, Dallas, The Ambassador Hotel, Waco, Ruby Ridge, and dozens of other places, and we feel that the problem has been dealt with, just like it was in the Civil War, and The Civil Rights Movement, and all must be well, because the government tells us it is. It is our responsibility however to question the veracity if these statements, in light of the government's previous involvement which led to compromise—rather than a lasting solution.

The Abolitionist Movement, the Civil Rights Movement—shall we let the freedom that those who have gone before us; fought, bled, and died for, fall away a little at a time, like layers off an onion? These previous movements were settled by the Government with compromise and attrition, not with the solutions of equality and freedom. The Bill of Rights Enforcement Movement (B-REM) must succeed at all levels; local, state, and national, or all that those brave individuals did, to secure the blessings of liberty for themselves and their posterity (us), will have been blood wasted, and freedom only dreamed-of. What can we do? We do not have to do the same thing, and we can achieve the goal that we all agree on.

If we have the courage of our convictions and the responsibility to live-up to those convictions, we can change our country for the better. In the Revolution and these other movements people reminded each other at weekly gatherings (e.g. Church, or the TLE) of their responsibility to themselves and each other—this created change at the local level. The previous fights for freedom also saw people create monthly gatherings of like-minded individuals who could afford the time and money to travel, to teach each other and learn from each other—this would create change at the state level. Those who attend these monthly and weekly gatherings have a responsibility to report to their peers that they meet on a daily basis, what they have learned, and those truths that have been uncovered and can be confirmed with verifiable evidence. It is our responsibility to build a network of individuals, from local to state level, who create flyers (newsletters), develop grass-roots communication in other ways (e-mail, telephone, text messages, etc.), people of commitment and individual effort who may be willing to pledge their "Lives. . . Fortunes. . . and Sacred Honor", if it becomes necessary.

After change has been affected at the state level then we will be noticed, the Federal government may then feel their way of life threatened, we could then face the naked aggression that Jefferson, Franklin, and Gallatin faced, we could see the reaction that was predicted by Ernest Callenbach in his novel "Ecotopia", naked government hostility in the form of military attacks on our own people. (hasn't this already happened?)

There is no way to face the kind of change that guarantees our freedoms the way they were supposed to be, like they are in The Probability Broach, without considering the pain of rebirth. It will hurt, the transition may be very painful—but you cannot make an omelet without breaking eggs and burning energy.

I just don't want my sons or my friend's sons, for that matter anyone's sons and daughters, to face these agonies (like those at Mount Carmel)—it is our responsibility to our children, our grandchildren, our posterity and our ancestors, to make the changes, beginning at the neighbor to neighbor grass-roots level; just like Revere, Henry, and Burr did to build this wonderful country to begin with.

When will you take responsibility and stop being complacently lazy? When they round-up children and herd them into prison camps? When they arrest all gun owners? When the bedroom police arrest your wife for having unapproved sex with you? When you're arrested for illegal cell-phone use?

When?

When that time comes, I'll be right here—where some of us have always been, ready to teach you what you can do to secure your blessings of liberty.

P.S.—This and all previous articles of mine may be freely copied and distributed, please be responsible and give credit to the author, thank you.

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