Ø Independence –
There is a certain contradiction in our American value of individual freedom and independence, especially as it relates to community, people known and unknown, acquaintances, friends and even family. I love that we cherish freedom and independence; that our nation was built on that foundation. That so many of our ancestors came here to get away from oppression, tyranny, persecution, or others who were here, or came involuntarily, we all had the personal intention and expectation to live freely and have personal independence. We all still strive for this and place it very high on our list of personal values, core beliefs, and “rights”.
The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence all relate to freedom, independence, liberty of people. They also all speak eloquently and directly to the collective of “the People”, the collective inhabitants of the separate States and the United States. These documents are all Charters of our Government; language written to establish rule and hence a collective governance to provide the “people” means of equity, fair-dealing, representation, and direct participation in our pursuits of Life, Liberty and Happiness.
They expressly state matters of equality and separate from a specific religious doctrine, but make no doubt they are all in place to govern, to provide a safe and equitable opportunity for all citizens. The language most know is: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. But just after that the Declaration states “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”.
Our very rights as individuals therefore are established and protected with our consent to a Government of our choosing, as a people with individual choices, but by majority consent through an established governing body. It also states shortly after “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes”.
So there is where we have the personal challenge of contradictions in our individual, vs “we the people”, rights and governance to pursue Life, Liberty and Happiness, to have Independence and Freedom, and how we see and determine what is “equitable”. If you add to the governance quandary, our spiritual or religious dogmas, you can clearly see the challenges we all face and play out our entire lives.
What I find most interesting though is the basics of most governing laws pretty much align with the commonalities in the World’s religions: It is wrong to Lie, Steal, and Kill. We should embrace all living creatures with compassion, respect, peace and non-violence, do not covet.
We have the independence and freedom within our heart and soul to choose happiness, take actions that are compassionate, giving and loving, for a United Humanity. We just have to get over ourselves, get past our Egos, in order to contribute to the greater good of community, society and all the earth. See it isn’t about “me” or “you”, it is about “us”. This is exactly why our current politicians in government continue to fail US, they are still too caught up in their own power, self-worth, partisanship, greed and alliances to PACs and large financial contributors, Corporations “too big to fail”, to actually humble themselves to “serve” their individual voting constituency first and foremost, rather than their identified party and platform. Our Government has the appropriate democratic structure and underpinnings set forth in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. What we no longer have is a national agenda, and elected representation, in place to serve those ideals at their core for the equality, benefit, independence, freedom, liberty and justice for all.
Use your independence to take the time to research those you may be voting for, read the Pros and Cons, look at their collective record. What’s on their resume to take a government, tax paid public job to serve you and I – are they qualified; have the performed as you want them to? Forget the paid propaganda and political advertisement bullshit, ignore and forget the bandwagon, banner-waving, drum-beating hyperbole that comes from special interests and other self-centered egomaniacs that thrive on soapbox hysteria. Think and act with responsibility for your family, neighbor’s community and it will be good for you as a part of that body.
Think and vote with informative choice and intention to have those elected truly be accountable to your community, not to their deep-pocket special interests.
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