The following is from the Sunday Salisbury Daily Times, July 5, 2009
Is it important to celebrate the Fourth of July as the birthday of our nation?
Independence Day serves to remind us who we are as a people. Our Declaration of Independence, delivered to King George, provided insight into our collective soul. No longer would we beg for crumbs from the king's table. What we "declared" to the king we must continue to declare to each other -- chiefly, that government exists to serve the people, not for people serve the government. We declare our rights are inalienable and given by God, not the product of government. Yet we did not stop there; we put all future government on notice that we would not suffer the yoke of bondage as a free people. From the day we declared it until now, we have been a vigilant guard of liberty's torch. Let us remind our children that we celebrate with fireworks that which is secured by the blood of patriots past, present and future.
This is the response to the posed question by Michael A. McDermott, Mayor of Pocomoke.
I cannot help but find Mayor Michael A. McDermott comments both insincere and not credible. One of the freedoms we celebrate on July 4th is the right to express our opinions, whatever they might be. Yet he stood on the steps of Pocomoke's city hall and told a candidate up for election and her husband they should stop their blog, the Pocomoke Tattler, and should move away because he does not like their opinions. He says the "right things". His actions, however, just do not back up what he says. How are we to believe him!
Maybe he should realize this incongruence between his words and his actions does not support his seeking of “intellectual” discussions. Pocomoke certainly could use an elected Mayor that understands “that government exists to serve the people, not for people serve the government,” to use McDermott’s words. The understanding of this concept is a rare occurrence in Pocomoke’s City Hall, at least when you disagree with City Hall.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Independence Day 2009
Here it is already, July 4, 2009. How time flies! Time to pause and reflect on the value of our freedoms and the hard fought efforts, which continue even today, to preserve them.
The Santa Cruz Sentinel (http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/opinion/ci_12752907) has an excellent piece on the Declaration of Independence. The article is a modern day version of pertinent sections of the Declaration.
As Pocomokians we would do well to read the Declaration of Independence more often. Especially the powers that be in our City Hall.
Sections especially pertinent to us in Pocomoke:
"... that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights ..."
...that God created every person equal, and He gave each person specific unchanging rights that should never be trampled upon...
"... that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness ..."
these include the right of the people to live life in freedom without undue harm, and pursue their dreams and goals.
"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed ..."
The very reason we have man-made governments is to protect these rights, not to interfere with them. Furthermore, whatever power and authority governments have are given by the people's permission and limited to their protection.
"...that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it ..."
When any government starts to undermine the very purpose of protecting the life, freedoms, and happiness of the people, then they have the right to change the government or even to pull the plug on the government if things get too bad.
"...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."
The people have the right to set up a new and better government based and organized upon tried and true principles that protect, rather than threaten, their safety and happiness.
"and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed."
And, in fact, history shows that people are more likely to put up with unbearable evil they even get used to it!, than they are to correct the problem. In other words: Put a frog in hot water and he'll jump out. But put him in cool water and gradually turn up the heat, and he'll fry to death.
"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."
But when a government becomes tyrannical and abusive with consistent, repeated violations of the people's rights, with the intent to make them slaves of the state, then the people have the right -- in fact, the duty -- to revolt and put new safeguards in place to protect their future rights.
Yes, there is still some work to be done in Pocomoke.
The Santa Cruz Sentinel (http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/opinion/ci_12752907) has an excellent piece on the Declaration of Independence. The article is a modern day version of pertinent sections of the Declaration.
As Pocomokians we would do well to read the Declaration of Independence more often. Especially the powers that be in our City Hall.
Sections especially pertinent to us in Pocomoke:
"... that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights ..."
...that God created every person equal, and He gave each person specific unchanging rights that should never be trampled upon...
"... that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness ..."
these include the right of the people to live life in freedom without undue harm, and pursue their dreams and goals.
"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed ..."
The very reason we have man-made governments is to protect these rights, not to interfere with them. Furthermore, whatever power and authority governments have are given by the people's permission and limited to their protection.
"...that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it ..."
When any government starts to undermine the very purpose of protecting the life, freedoms, and happiness of the people, then they have the right to change the government or even to pull the plug on the government if things get too bad.
"...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."
The people have the right to set up a new and better government based and organized upon tried and true principles that protect, rather than threaten, their safety and happiness.
"and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed."
And, in fact, history shows that people are more likely to put up with unbearable evil they even get used to it!, than they are to correct the problem. In other words: Put a frog in hot water and he'll jump out. But put him in cool water and gradually turn up the heat, and he'll fry to death.
"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."
But when a government becomes tyrannical and abusive with consistent, repeated violations of the people's rights, with the intent to make them slaves of the state, then the people have the right -- in fact, the duty -- to revolt and put new safeguards in place to protect their future rights.
Yes, there is still some work to be done in Pocomoke.
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