I have purposed to finish my thoughts on George Mason’s “Declaration of Rights” coming out of the Virginia Colony on May 15, 1776 and adopted on June 12, just about three weeks before the Declaration of Independence.
I get excited and care about this part of history because the documents reveal to me, through my metaphysical lens, that the general spirit of that time was one energized by Heart. I don’t believe this has happened very much throughout history, and Ego, which plays strongly in us and in the masses many times, will fight to keep us conformed and safe. Even though Ego was operative in the men making the decisions in regards to women and minorities, they chose Heart as their primary operating system. The Declaration of Rights shows this to me, as well as the harmonic resonance of the many other writings at that crucial moment in history. I have enjoyed examining this document because of the elements of it appropriated for the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the United States. I debated if I should summarize the remaining thirteen sections of it; I already examined the first three. I won’t be doing that, but I think it would be good if you, my friend, looked it up and read it. It’s only three pages to read, but 241 years long. Let me skip way ahead to Section 15 because it applies directly to reading this: “That no free government, or the blessings of liberty, can be preserved to any people, but by a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality, and virtue, and by frequent recurrence to fundamental principles (my emphasis)” (126). If we want to remain free in the brand of Heart-principled liberty we have the opportunity to experience, we should know and apply these works, to some extent. Our freedom depends on us, not the government. In fact, one of my good friends, a history scholar, has made the point over and over that has been borne out every time: people vote and support based on the best deal they can get personally. The parties have created their own tribes based on Ego, pandering to masses motivated by Ego to just get the most they can and stay the hell out of everything else. And the parties manipulate, control, and seek wealth at our expense — pure, unadulterated Ego. Part of my analysis of the spirit behind that time involves this very idea: the colonists, especially the leaders, were willing to give up everything; they were not greedy, grasping, profit-motivated people who thought the “American dream” was all about making as much money as possible and designing the government based on that principle. That is not, has nothing to do with, the greatness of America. It runs much deeper than that; in fact, the image of America as portrayed in these documents by these men runs antithetical to that. It’s not sacrifice, totally, but it is a the willingness to release, sacrifice Ego-self for Heart-truth of rights, freedom, and liberty. (Example: Don’t make policy about immigrants based on how much money and jobs they might cost us.) Living liberty is based on honesty, and we need to thoughtfully know what the nation is about, and it’s not focused on cash flow or no cash flow. We should base our political and governmental decisions on these “fundamental principles” (126). Section 15 makes it clear that a deep spiritual dynamic is what drove the founding of America, and should attend its evolution, if we want to remain free. That brings me to Section 12, because if we wish to stay in touch with the spirit of those days, we need to have knowledge of what is going on in order to evaluate, and the press, a free press, is of great value for that: “That the freedom of the press is one of the great bulwarks of liberty and can never be restrained but by despotic governments” (126). That’s the whole thing. The right of the press is freedom from government influence or hindrance. The colonists evolving into revolutionaries in those days viewed a free press as another check on possible abuses by authorities of the other freedoms they appropriated for themselves. The authors of these early writings did not expect their work would end up enshrined somewhere; the implication was they were living documents to be distributed and used, documents to help inform and supply means to evaluate, draw conclusions, and take action. We should use them accordingly. My use of this Declaration of Rights leads me to draw a conclusion. This current president of America has attempted from his campaign to now the sixth month of his term to undermine the free press. I have no sympathy for his views, nor do I even have a courteous disagreement. He is not fit to reign, and reign is exactly what he is attempting to do. His assault to silence the outlets of the press that he does not like is truly part of a “despotic government.” The press was held nearly sacred as a primary element in preserving a democracy. Do we really get that? It’s part of our democracy — not a job, not a career, but an integral component of the functioning of this nation. Amendment 1 of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution: “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…” No, congress is not currently making laws, but just in case some do not see it, the stage is being set. Belittling an institution held as necessary for the successful functioning of the government has been purposefully intended to nullify the press and inure citizens to the idea that since the press is fake, then they are unnecessary and restrictions need to be placed on them. I will not even dignify the man called president with an evaluation of his egoic, infantile actions. And I would equally condemn every politician who jumps on the bandwagon of “fake news,” like the governor of Missouri, as ones who little understand what this great America is all about. It’s not about power and law and order. It’s about preserving, protecting, and projecting freedom to live Heart-truth. By the way, the executive orders that have been so sternly stated that suspend laws and judicial precedents of the past, orders that are not voted on by representatives at the national or state levels, are not in concert with the nature of America: “That all power of suspending laws, or the execution of laws, by any authority, without consent of the representative of the people, is injurious to there rights and ought not to be exercised” (125). I bring this up because I would not be shocked to start hearing decrees about the press. One further note about this is if any outlet or individual in journalism purposefully and willfully leads the public astray, the public should destroy them via complete disassociation, i.e., boycott them. Individual journalists and consenting editors should be fired immediately, as has happened in some cases, but judgments should be based on investigation and due process that the business or industry sets. It’s that special. Let’s get better acquainted with the Heart-energy that formed the basis and drive to establish a country like America, one that could easily embrace a much more global relationship because the most essential right of equality of everyone forms the freedom we enjoy. We should remember that government exists primarily to ensure that. Fashioning agendas and political parties to establish and maintain power are not legitimate governmental functions or even political ones, and that is what we have devolved into in this nation. The best course of action for any of us is to discover Self, create Purpose, and live it — the essence of enjoying life and liberty. This nation was set up for such experiences. Blessings! (All quotes from Miller, Joel J. and Parrish, Kristen, eds. The Patriot’s Reference. Nashville, TN: Nelson Books, 2014. Print.)
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Questions to consider:How many times have you asked yourself or simply thought about the following questions?
Who am I, really? What is my truth? How do my actions reveal what I really feel and believe? What would I do with my life if I could do anything? What is my passion? Why am I here? How can I discover answers to any of these questions? If you have considered any of these questions, I hope that my experiences and writing will give you some guidance. Please read my blog and comment and share your thoughts. I would love to hear from you! Archives
December 2019
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