If you give in to fear, then we all end up as frog soup

It is often difficult to watch some exercise their right to choose.

However, when other’s choices effect me and those I love adversely, I have the right and the responsibility to speak up. “It becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.”

We’ve all heard the story of a frog in a pot. It is said that if you put a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will leap out right away to escape the danger. However, if you put a frog in a pot that is filled with cool water, and gradually heat the pot until it starts boiling, the frog will not realize the threat until it’s too late.

Imagine that we are all frogs living in a huge pot of water. Some of us notice that the water is getting a bit warm and mention it to our froggy friends. The media assures us that all is well. Those who speak out are labeled as “fear mongers”, “haters”, “nut jobs” and idiots. They are discredited in every wave. You too notice that the water is getting warmer. Do you speak out? Do you stay silent because you fear what others might say? If you give in to fear, then we all end up as frog soup.

Price of Freedom
Our duties as citizens are much more than voting (which most of us neglect). It is our responsibility as citizens to be vigilant in monitoring what our elected officials are doing. Thomas Jefferson warned us that “the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.”

and

“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.”

Our Complacency and Training
We have been blessed as a nation for so long that we have come to take our freedoms and the blessings of prosperity for granted. We are so far removed from the real price that has been paid that we are not vigilant. Most are not even familiar with the founding documents of this nation, the branches and processes of government, and our duties as citizens. Also, most don’t have convictions or views built and understanding of the founding principals. Instead we affiliate ourselves with parties and platforms and focus on our differences. We don’t seriously study the issues or consider the character of those who seek to be our leaders.

We have also been trained to pick a party and a platform and to vote for parties instead of individuals. Most of us do not involve ourselves in the selection of those who represent us. We blindly accept those people that the political machines of both parties select for us.

Few in the Media are Helpful
There are few people in media now that are pointing out the abuses of the Obama Administration and the Democratic leadership in Congress. Furthermore, the Main Stream Media (MSM) is not reporting these things. Their hypocrisy is blatant, self-serving, and dangerous to this country.

We need to let the media know that we are aware of their bias and neglect.

Founders Recognized Human Weakness and We Need to Also
The founders mistrusted those who would step forth and seek to govern, understanding that by its nature the very power vested in government would attract the wrong kind of person.

George Washington

Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.

It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.

John Adams

There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.

Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak.

Power always thinks… that it is doing God’s service when it is violating all his laws.

Because power corrupts, society’s demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases.

Thomas Jefferson

Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.

Power is not alluring to pure minds.

A great religious leader once observed: “We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.”

We all seem to be together in the proverbial pot and the temperature is rising fast! Yet when we speak up, some of the most ridiculous tactics are used in an attempt to debate or silence us. Don’t expect much logic or reason in the arguments that will be used against you. I wish I had a dollar for every time I have heard this one:

Where were You During the Previous Eight Years? (Where were you when Bush was President?)

This is truly one of the most illogical and weak arguments I have ever heard. First, I did complain when Bush was president. Although, I admit not soon enough. But let’s examine this senseless argument.

First, assuming I did not speak out when Bush was president, this argument suggests that because I did not, that I now have NO right whatsoever to complain about President Obama or his administration. Do you really think that? Can you not hear how ridiculous that sounds?

Second, let’s suppose that it took me a while to wake up to the abuses of the Bush Administration, do you really think that because it took me a while to recognize these abuses that I cannot point out the abuses of the Obama Administration? Again, that is a weak, illogical, and completely wrong argument.

Rules of Discussion
Very few of us can discuss issues intelligently. Instead, we repeat sound bytes we hear from the media and we insult those who are not affiliated with the same party that we belong to (whatever party that is). It seems that we live in an “Us-vs-Them” world.

At Liberty’s Army we truly believe that we have more in common with each other than most would like to admit. Let’s focus on those principals that bring us together and then respect the rights of others to have different opinions. Let’s focus on learning truth, what ever it is. Allow others to ask questions and express concerns without ridicule, and with a sincere desire to understand the reason for our differences.

Don’t let pride keep you from doing the right thing. You will be wrong at times. There is no shame in that. There is only shame in being so prideful that you cannot admit being wrong and changing your views according to truth.

We are Americans first and foremost. Learn about the founding documents. Learn about issues. Be willing to work to gain understanding about issues and to respectfully discuss them with others.

Tagged as: Frog Soup