Enough!An essay by James A Graves Jr
No matter how tolerant a person might be, there comes a time when we are forced to declare, “I’ve had enough.” I have come to that point.
It happened just recently, when the Liberal/Socialist/Progressive Left, Liberal politicians, and the Liberal Media attacked S. Truett Cathy, the CEO of Chick Fillet, for simply stating his Christian beliefs publicly. Cathy stated in an interview that he believed in traditional Christian marriage, and for that he was attacked as being anti-gay and homophobic. But that attack was not just criticism of his personal opinion but an attempt to financially cripple the Chick Fillet Company, which would hurt the employees of Chick Fillet far more than it would hurt S. Truett Cathy.
But then, Liberals – or, more accurately, Socialists – don’t care who they hurt when pushing forward their agenda. It apparently doesn’t matter if a person’s reputation is ruined by vicious gossip and lies. Neither does is matter that the business could be hurt, causing lay-offs of innocent workers. Apparently such collateral damage caused by their venomous attacks is considered acceptable as long as they get the desired attention and promote their agenda.
I can accept and understand the criticism of someone’s stated opinion – that is the American right of free speech – but what I cannot accept or understand is the attempt to destroy a company or ruin a person’s reputation because you disagree with them. To me, that is not free speech, but a violation of the victim’s civil right of free speech. Amendment One of the Bill of Rights 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;” Based on the First Amendment, it appears to me that if an individual or group tries to defame someone or destroy him or her financially, just because they express an opinion of which that person or group does not agree, it is an attempt to deny the right of free speech, which is a violation of the First Amendment. The power of the First Amendment is two-fold; while it prohibits Congress from making laws to silence American citizens, it also protects the right to free speech, which means that anyone, government or civilian, who tries to deny free speech is committing a crime.
It certainly doesn’t matter to the socialist liberals whether or not a person or group is government or civilian when they take legal action to deny the free exercise of religion in a public school or government building. Praying in a public school or displaying the Ten Commandments in a public building does not mean that Congress has made a law establishing a religion. On the contrary, praying in a public school or displaying the Ten Commandments in a public building demonstrates the free exercise of religion by American citizens, which is protected by the First Amendment.
But, I digress… I consider myself a tolerant person despite the fact that I grew up in the Deep South in the 50’s and 60’s, surrounded by people filled with all sorts of prejudices. Those prejudices never made any sense to me. I’m a Christian and certainly a Redneck, but I’m living proof that the assumption that all Rednecks are narrow-minded bigots is wrong.
I fail to see how Caucasians are supposed to be superior to any other race – in fact; the Nazis demonstrated the stupidity of assuming racial superiority quite well during World War Two – and Nazi Skinheads continue to demonstrate that same stupidity today. I am painfully aware of the despicable way that my Irish ancestors were treated after immigrating to America. They were berated, abused, starved and killed just because they were Irish. I’ve never understood it and I still resent it to this very day.
As a musician, I viewed other musicians, regardless of skin color or social status, as equals. In fact, I see no reason to view anyone as inferior based on race, creed, color, social status, sexual orientation, etc. However, if Muslims, or any other person or group, wishes to view me as inferior just because I’m a White Southern Christian Redneck they are free to do so. But since I will consider that to be an adversarial position, they can also include me in their list of enemies.
I’ve been on the receiving end of discrimination, from reverse prejudice in the USAF, to being treated with the assumption that I was stupid just because I spoke with a Southern accent. I’ve been discriminated against because of my social status, but I failed to see how wealth made superior the ones who chose to look down their nose at me. Yes, we were poor, but many of our neighbors and friends were poorer and we were certainly no better than them. I knew many who were much richer than us and they were obviously no better than us or anyone else that I knew. I even found the foolish conceit of the wealthy to be quite amusing.
But what I don’t find amusing, or tolerable, is the Liberal Socialist notion that endorses oppressing and destroying anything or anyone that is perceived to contradict their Godless Socialist beliefs or agenda. As I mentioned earlier, the First Amendment protects the rights of free speech of all people and political parties including Communists and Socialists. Those organizations exist in the US today because the US Constitution allows them to exist. Sadly, that freedom is taken for granted in America. Just try to form any kind of opposition political party in Red China, North Korea or Iran and see what happens. Assuming you’re not executed for your “crime”, which is highly likely, you’ll have to recruit members of your new party from among your fellow prisoners.
And that brings us to the actions of the American Liberals, Socialists, Progressives, Communists and others who completely disregard the freedoms granted by the US Constitution and try to oppress and crush the civil rights of Christians, Christian organizations, and any others with which they disagree; those actions are wrong. It is not only wrong both legally and morally, it is an outright attempt to change the foundation upon which the American Democratic Republic was formed, and replace it with Socialism.
Socialism is obviously not a new form of government. It exists today, and has existed in the past in many forms. The USSR is one shining example. Socialism all started with Carl Marx and his book, The Communist Manifesto. His political philosophy became known as Marxism. The first government based on Marxism was Soviet Russia, which was formed after the Russian Revolution of 1917 and first ruled by Vladimir Lenin. According to the New World Encyclopedia, “Lenin embraced Marx's vision, but made certain adjustments in Marxist theories and practice and orchestrated the first communist revolution.” Lenin’s rule of the USSR was considered repressive and brutal, but paled in comparison to his predecessor, Josef Stalin, who ruled Soviet Russia from 1922 to 1953. Deaths during Stalin’s reign of the Soviet Union are estimated to have been from 20 to 60 million people. Most were killed by execution or forced starvation.
So, to say that Socialism and Communism is a failure is somewhat of an understatement. The New World Encyclopedia sums it up best in their article on Vladimir Lenin, “The dissolution of the Soviet Union, the largest of all twentieth century socialist empires in 1991, was preceded by the breakdown of Marxist regimes throughout Eastern Europe. This breakdown has been followed by radical reforms in other communist countries including China, Mongolia and Vietnam. The failure of Marxism or Marxism-Leninism was not primarily due to its misapplication by Lenin, Josef Stalin or others. It stemmed from the philosophical and scientific underpinnings of Marxism, including its militant atheism, its commitment to revolutionary violence, and its flawed economic theories.”
It is apparent that Socialism and Communism affords opportunities for leaders in the ruling class to become very powerful, which leads to tyranny. In a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887, Lord Acton said, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Lenin and Stalin are not the only leaders who have been corrupted absolutely by the power they controlled through a Socialist government. North Korea and Red China are only two examples of countries around the world today with citizens suffering under the brutality of a Godless, totalitarian, Socialist government.
From the New World Encyclopedia summation you might have noted some of the characteristics of a Socialist government - militant atheism, revolutionary violence, and flawed economic theories.
We are seeing the signs of Socialism in America right now in the form of militant atheism. A perfect example is the aggressive action taken against S. Truett Cathy of Chick Fillet simply because he expressed his Christian beliefs publicly. This is yet another attack in the Socialists’ war on Christianity and religion in general. Under the guise of Liberalism or social justice, Progressives, Socialists and Liberals have been successful in removing God from public schools, and have made some progress in their attempts to remove God from every aspect of government, like “In God We Trust”, despite the fact that our founding fathers made great efforts to ensure that God was an important part of every official document and official seal that established and represented the United States of America.
The primary goal of Socialists is to gain control of government, dictate basic human rights and regulate freedom. They do this slowly and surreptitiously by establishing government entitlement programs, and other give-away programs, which are based on legitimate need, but are administered in a manner that creates dependency instead of providing an opportunity for becoming self-sufficient. Citizens who are dependent on government for their health and welfare are, by simply necessity, under the complete control of that government. Entitlements also take away the need for productivity. There is no incentive to work when the necessities of life are provided for free. Over time the financial burden of these entitlement programs on the tax system become unsustainable. When the entitlements cease the people dependent upon them find themselves unable to afford to buy food. So, hunger brings civil unrest, then, finally, starvation brings anarchy. While this scenario might sound absurd, it is exactly what happened in Soviet Russia during both Lenin’s and Stalin’s reign.
And if the Socialists are unable to gain control by stealth, they resort to revolutionary violence. We’ve seen examples of that type of violence during the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations earlier this year.
We’re seeing evidence of Socialist flawed economic theories abound as the economic stability of European countries like Greece and Spain falter under the strain of failing Socialist economies.
I see no reason why the American people should allow our Republic to be destroyed from within. We have been one of the most powerful economic forces in the history of the world. America is a beacon of freedom like no other and the greatest Democratic Republic the world has ever known. We have the ability to return to that level of achievement and we must if we intend to survive as a free nation.
I’m tired of being politically correct and I’m tired of turning the other Christian cheek. And I refuse to sit by and watch my country go to Hell in a hand basket.
If a fight is what they want, then a fight is what they’ll get.
I’ve had ENOUGH Socialist crap!
©2012 James A Graves, Jr.
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