The defining moment is now

By Mary Kafka

At the close of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787, Benjamin Franklin was asked by a bystander: “Well Mr. Franklin, what have you given us: a republic or a monarchy?” Franklin responded: “A republic, if you can keep it.”

Today we see that our once great republic of the people has morphed into being a big government entitlement society where the people have relinquished much of their liberty in exchange for government handouts and a false sense of security.

Today, just as Franklin warned, the people’s complacency has reaped a foul harvest of self-serving legislators who are much like the monarchs we tossed out over 200 years ago in order to gain our independence. Too many of them show ignorance and contempt for the Constitution and want us to believe that our rights come from government, when in fact our rights emanate from God.

But after only six months the people are terrified by the ominous cloud of staggering debt and deficits that the Obama Administration is heaping onto the nation and onto those yet to be born. Yet he wants to add even more debt with Obamacare, a global warming tax on energy, more stimulus spending and an extension of debt.

People are irate when their government abuses its power to commandeer private property, take over banks, the auto industry, commerce and private enterprise. People are outraged over the irresponsible spending of Congress and fear losing their liberty and property rights. People are shocked when the president apologizes for America, befriends dictators or grants Miranda rights to terrorists and fails to mention the significance of liberty, property rights, the republic, the Constitution and the individual.

The current administration has shown by its arrogant actions that it’s not interested in having the people delegate any authority according to the Constitution. Public dissent and free speech are being suppressed by threats and intimidation from the Department of Homeland Security, which is profiling anyone who disagrees with this administration as being a dangerous “right-wing extremist.” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi arrogantly declares dissent against this administration is “un-American.”

This administration condemns protesters as being “the mob.” This White House is urging its followers to turn in their neighbors and is compiling an “enemies list” of people whose protest against the administration may be “fishy.” This administration has urged its cohorts such as the paramilitary civilian national security force (ACORN) and SEIU to “get in their face.” “If you get hit, we punch back twice as hard.”

The people are asking in disbelief: How can this be happening in America? How can we keep our republic when we have allowed our leaders to become dictators who are silencing dissent from the people? The people are awakening to the fact that the current administration is at war with traditional America and they now realize they must exercise their right and duty to defend their liberty against an out of control government.

We still have the resemblance of a republic where people can still replace our representatives at the ballot box with new representatives who must honor the Constitution and, if not, they will be thrown out of office.

This is the defining moment right now in the people’s movement to retain our Constitution and Bill of Rights. It’s our duty to defend our liberty from being stolen by big government.

If we fail, this could be our last hope to save the nation. This could be our last chance to keep the Republic; a government of the people whose fate is decided with ballots rather than bullets.

A TEA (Taxed Enough Already) party will be held in front of the Ramona Post Office on Sept. 12, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.. Bring your best signs, flags, T-shirts, caps, hats and costumes. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty! Come and take a stand for your rights!