By Mariah DeLong-Wright – The United States of America was founded on freedom. This freedom is slowly being taken from this great country. It troubles me to see that our great Republic is headed into an Oligarchy.
Over these years, step by step, we had headed in a spiral downwards from what our founding father’s based our country on. Government has overstepped its boundaries from securing our God-given rights to controlling them.
When we were a thriving country we were able to discipline our children and take care of our families, but now the government has trampled over that right and tells us that we cannot run our families the biblical way we must do it the governmental way.
Our freedom to life was destroyed when we chose to ignore the fact, “All men are created equal.” Over 600,000 people were slaughtered in the Civil War when we ignored this simple yet crucial statement.
Since 1973, over 50 million innocent children were slaughtered at our hands because abortion was legalized. These children could have changed our future. They could have been the next Albert Einstein or the next Abraham Lincoln, but because of our apathy and selfishness we will never know nor reap the benefits of their God-given life (Campbell).
In our first Amendment it declares, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
In 1963, this was obliterated when prayer was taken out of school and the mention of Intelligent Design was forbidden in a public educational setting. Christianity is ridiculed and shut out from school and the court of law; it is not completely banned, but it has come so very close. The freedom to speak about Christianity has been banned on certain television and in certain public settings (“What Happened When Prayer Was Taken out of Our Public Schools”).
Woodrow Wilson stated that, “The rhetorical introduction of the Declaration of Independence is the least part of it… if you want to understand the real Declaration, do not repeat the preface (Campbell).” This is so sad because our own President did not understand the most valuable part of our Constitution. The Declaration of Independence is the most important part of the Constitution. This is the part that states our basic liberties: “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
Whenever there has been a crisis our government steps in and takes more control of our society slowly gaining control of every aspect of our life, just like an oligarchy would. Theodore Roosevelt created the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1887 which gave government large control of commerce.
In 1913 the Federal Reserve took over monetary policies due largely to the Great Depression. This gives government control of our transportation and money. In 1933-1938 Franklin D. Roosevelt established the New Deal which produced thirty-nine agencies.
He stated, “Throughout the nation men and women, forgotten in the political philosophy of the Government, look to us here for guidance and for more equitable opportunity to share in the distribution of national wealth… I pledge myself to a new deal for the American people. This is more than a political campaign. It is a call to arms (Campbell).”
This New Deal was expanded by Lyndon B. Johnson (“New Deal”). It was created to help the American society recover from its economic troubles but opened a wide area for an abuse of power. Instead of turning to God for help, we turned to men for help. It has been shown in history that even the best of intentions from a man always fail. Whether these organizations and acts were passed for the benefit of America or for the gain of power for the government, it will fail because the control is in the hands of mere men.
The most recent act passed that gives the government more control over our lives is the new health care act signed by our current leader, President Obama. The health care bill requires everyone to have health care and gives the government more power of the health care. I truly believe it is important for everyone to be insured and have the benefits of health care but the way the government is going about it gives them all control over it (Campbell). Our government was not put in place to take care of us; it was put in place to enforce our laws and ensure our God-given rights.
When government starts to be seen as a way out of poverty or crisis, it gains large amounts of power. It has been shown many times in history that when government gains large quantities of power a society, that society becomes enslaved. When we see government as our savior we give it a wide berth for corruption. It was put by Collins Bailey as this, “To allow a level of government to usurp a function at a level above its proper place is tyranny. To allow level of government to sink below its proper place is anarchy (Campbell),”
In World War II Germany was looking for an answer and they turned to Adolf Hitler for recourse. We commonly mistake this event as a quick tyrannical overthrow, but in reality it was a society in need of help that looked to a man for sanctuary. This is what is happening today.
We are giving our government control of everything hoping to resolve our issues. The government imposes Socialist thinking upon us, trying to offer a way of help. This seems like a wonderful way to share equality, but in truth someone or a number of people will take over.
They will be but mere men trying to rule a nation but will fail because they are just that: men. It was put so eloquently by President Ronald Reagan, “From time to time, we have been tempted to believe that society has become too complex to be managed by self-rule, that government by an elite group is superior to government for, by, and of the people. But if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else (Campbell)?”
Mariah DeLong-Wright is in the 10th grade at Kaahumanu Hou Christian School on Maui. On December 13, Mayor Arakawa presented her with a $500 cash prize and certificate for winning an essay contest on the Constitution. Mariah’s essay, “Breath of Freedom”, was written in response to the 2012 James Madison In Pursuit of Knowledge essay contest which was open to all Maui high school students. The Mayor offered his congratulations to Mariah at the school assembly of about 100 students, parents, and faculty. Along with congratulations, Mayor Arakawa heaped accolades on our nation’s founding document, the Constitution, and the “common sense” men, the founders, calling the Constitution “truly amazing.” He reminded the audience that it is the Constitution that ensures we Americans our freedoms. The Mayor then sounded a challenge for the students to “Think, then act.” He left the audience with a plea to learn all there is to know about the Constitution, and become proactive in your community – in your future. The James Madison essay was offered and funded by private donors in response to a 30 minute presentation “The Constitution, America’s Rudder”, which covers a 300 year timeline centered on the US Constitution, and is available free of charge by contacting Luke Campbell at lukeOcampbell@gmail.com.
What a wonderful essay! James Madison would be proud.
I just wish politicians had as much understanding of the Constitution as does Mariah. She is far wiser than those in elected office.
Comments are closed.