Live Free or Die!

I want to thank my good friend, Laco Kuchar, for posting the picture above on Facebook. I found the line at the bottom of the billboard especially inspiring. There is no doubt that we are facing a time of unparalleled corruption in our government. When we were promised transparency but received major legislation put together behind closed doors, we felt deceived. When the same legislation was rammed down the throat of the majority of the people we felt alienated. The old cry of the American Revolution rose in our throats again, "Taxation without representation!" Most of us were not represented in those back room meetings. We were told we would see it on CSPAN, and that legislation would be posted on the internet at least 72 hours before it came to a vote. Then on seperate occassions we hear from both Obama and Pelosi that we would "know what was in the bill AFTER it passed!" What were they hiding?

On March 23, 2010, Obama signed his health care bill into law, amid the challenges from opponents that it was unconstitutional, and a little more of our freedom died. I think it interesting that it was on March 23, 1775 that Patrick Henry spoke those famous words, "Give me liberty, or give me death!" His speech before the Virginia Convention is credited for having inspired them to join the Revolution. This style of legislating, in the face of such strong objections from the majority of the people, is serving a similar function to Patrick Henry's speech. The people are inspired to join the revolution.

The billboard humorously suggests steps to Revolution. 1. Starve the beast. 2. Vote out incumbents. 3. If steps 1 and 2 fail, then prepare for war. The truth is that we are already at war. We are embroiled in a war for the heart and soul of America. Will our children and grandchildren live in an America as free as the country we have known? Will we respond to this call to revolution, or will the America we leave for our children and grandchildren be better defined as the United Socialist States of America? I think it depends on how we respond to the challenges of our time.

Let me use the outline on this billboard to explain what we can do. How can we "Starve the beast?" The only way to starve this beast is to shrink government. The present administration believes that government is the answer for everything, and it just keeps growing bigger and bigger. The cost of running it keeps growing along with our enormous debt. The way to starve the beast is to cut back the size and expense of government. This government needs to be on a starvation diet. Of course, that seems highly unlikely considering the record of those currently in power. Therefore we need to move quickly to the second consideration. If the people, who are so stirred now, will stir themselves up and go to the polls, then we can see an end to the kind governance we are enduring. Those 220 who voted against the will of the people need to find themselves looking for work after the next election. Voting incumbents out just because they are incumbents is not wisdom. We need to look closely at all incumbents. There are many who need to be sent packing, but there are those who have stood for truth, and we don't need to lose good men and women who have had the courage to stand up without compromise during times such as these.

Lastly, we must remember the cost of freedom. We must honor and cherish the precious gift of liberty that has been purchased with both the blood of our forefathers, and the blood of our sons and daughters, who have paid the ultimate price for freedom. It is a time for us to be willing to make the sacrifices, and pay the cost of protecting liberty for our children. It is again time to boldly choose to "live free or die." If we do not choose to rally for for the cause of our liberty, then a little more of our freedom will continue to die every day.

Remember Paul's words in 2 Timothy chapter 3:1. "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days." These certainly are "perilous times," to use the words recorded in the KJV. Our nation is in peril. Thomas Paine wrote in his work, The Crisis, "These are the times that try men's souls." Still those times were not without hope, and neither are these.
As Christians we should be a people full of hope. We can declare again with Paul in his letter to the church at Galatia, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1)." One day He will return, and finally we will have the only perfect government. Until then, we are full of hope that He is the answer for the ills of our nation. His truth still sets us free! Let us cherish freedom, and "Live free, or die."