We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

To escape the chaos and insanity, I retreat to the basic basics. Return with me to the foundation of our great Nation and read the following from the Declaration of Independence. Take some time, reading the phrases three times each. Let the words sink in.

From the Preamble:

“That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes…

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”

From the Charges brought against the oppressor:

“He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent…”

And the Summation:

“We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do.”

From this reading exercise, I am aware of the erosion over the years of Rights from we the people and independent States, not to mention the seeming landslide in the last few weeks. We all know them, for they are repeated continuously in the media.

Please join others in TEA Parties April 15, 2009.

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

Principle-Centered Leadership

It is curious that we celebrate the tenth annual Leadership Clovis Day this month in the midst of this most intense economic downturn and the aftermath of this particular Presidential election.

However in the confusion and distractions, the principles studied in my own two-year Leadership Clovis internship guided me through. Principles cannot be manipulated and, therefore, never change. They are our moral compass giving clarity.

President-elect Barack Obama was not my choice as a leader of this great nation. With college records and birth certificate sealed, we know very little of a seemingly guarded past, void of sound accomplishments prior to very short tenure as a United States Senator.

And on the campaign trail, not only did he move from the far left to the center for mass appeal, but he either dropped or denied radical associations as well. All this spun with the help of the media, internet, fellow politicians, and Hollywood, a president-elect was created. Sadly, we know very little about him.

With this said, through the election process created by the wisdom of our country’s founders, we shall transition peacefully and seamlessly from one leader to another.

The inauguration this January is of historic value. For the first time in over 200 years since our Nation’s founding and its struggle for racial equality, we will be lead by a person of color. This in itself is a reason for an incredible celebration.

May our moral compass guide us to unite behind him with our support.

Unlike the shameful treatment towards President George W. Bush on display to the world, I pray that we grant our new leader the respect that the highest office in our Nation deserves and that he grant us principle-centered leadership.