A Squandered Birthright.

My wife is becoming more and more annoyed with me these days, and with good reason. She has had to give more neck massages than usual, and I believe it will not be long before she starts wearing earplugs while the news is on. Up until recently I would only sit and shake my head as I listened to men in ties tell me how to think. With the news of the bailouts and unrelenting intrusion by our government into our lives, my ritual of cranial oscillation has been interrupted by loud angry outbursts directed at the television. 
The reason? Simple. Hutch has finally had it. Hutch was not raised to distrust those in power. Hutch was not raised to be violent or angry. And he was CERTAINLY not raised to write in third person. And yet, here he is...er...I Am!
Why have I had it? I love you guys! You always ask the right questions! I'll tell you why I've had it.
Think back. All the way back to your earliest memories of American History class. Think of Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Revere and Henry. Think of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. That piece of paper that said with the might of a republic that no man was born better than any other man. That no American is a subject. All are citizens. This is our proud birthright. None before it or since has been its equal. Think of what that generation gave for us to have it. Could we face them after what we have allowed our birthright to become? I know I could not. What would they think of our all-powerful federal government that can declare any of us an "enemy combatant" and kidnap us without explanation, ship us off to a foreign country, and hold us indefinitely without trial? What would they say if they knew that our President, with a bloody stroke of his pen, had sent thousands off to die in an unconstitutional war? How would we justify the comments made by men we elected relegating the document they gave their lifeblood for to be labeled as "dead", "arcane", or , worst of all, " subject to interpretation"? 
The most painful part of the last few days has been listening to representatives being derided for voting based on the outcry from their constituents. These men were cursed as "unpatriotic" and accused of not caring about the good of the country. Last I checked, Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Franks, this is still a representative form of government. It is not your job to decide "what is best for America". America decides that. Anything short of casting your vote in agreement with the people you claim to represent is nothing short of authoritarian dictatorship. Judging from the outcry against it, that piece of legislation should never have made it to paper.
America, you are entitled to more than this. WE THE PEOPLE are entitled to more than this. 
I heard an anchor on CNBC the other day refer to the ideas held by those who oppose the federal reserve system(myself included) as "Timothy McVeigh-like" Have we really fallen so far? Have we really come to a place where those who hold the fiscal point of view in line with the founding fathers intentions are painted with the same brush as a murderer of innocent people?
We can change this. We can still raise our voice and be heard. We can still vote. Once they take that from us, and they will try, we have one choice. We must retake with our own blood what the first generation of Americans bought with theirs. Our freedom. Not some vain cliche. Not a campaign slogan used to incite young men to war, but real freedom. Our birthright. Our threatened inheritance. Jefferson's words ring more true today than ever. "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance" It is not foreign powers that threaten our freedom. We must be vigilant of the enemy within, of human nature to dominate those not in a position to defend themselves from "the insidious encroachment by men of zeal"
I'm not going to tell you how you should vote. I'll only say this. change will not come from a republican or a democrat. There is no more hope in Obama than there is national safety in McCain. A vote for either of these will be cast for four more years of the same.
Show me some passion. Even if....no...ESPECIALLY if you disagree with me. comment.