Monday, October 26, 2009

What Comes Next. . .

Since this blog was started earlier this year, there have been several different topics addressed. We've discussed whether or not America is traveling a road that could lead to what David O. McKay called the "soul destroying land of socialism". We reviewed some fundamental principles that are essential to preserving liberty, and the importance of helping our children cleave to true principles. Then there have been many posts discussing the price that has been paid for our liberty, those who paid that price, and the responsibility we have in our day to bear our portion of liberty's cost.

This blog has tried to outline the mainstay of freedom that has been our heritage, and the fact that our country is changing in ways that threaten to diminish our individual liberties. In many ways this has been an attempt on my part to raise a faint and feeble voice of warning about the need to preserve the liberty to exercise our agency, which I believe is a fundamental part of God's plan for His children.

It is my intent to now start using this blog to take a closer look at those things happening in our nation today, review how these things contribute to the preservation or peril of our freedom, and to hopefully explore some ways that each of us, both as individuals and as a people, can stand up to defend our liberty and way of life. By doing this we can view actual examples of our freedom in jeopardy, and come up with ways to intervene in defense of our liberty.

But I'd like to take just one more opportunity to share a few thoughts about how important it has become to defend the freedoms we possess. This time, however, it will be in the words of someone whose voice is much more articulate and empassioned than mine.

Please consider the following words from Ezra Taft Benson:

"The one great revolution in the world today is the revolution for human liberty. This was the paramount issue we all faced in the great council in heaven before this earth life. It has been the issue throughout the ages. It is the issue today.
"It is difficult for Americans to understand the danger to our liberty. 'It is generally outside the range of our experience.'
"But we live today in an age of peril. We are threatened with the loss not only of material wealth but of something far more precious--our liberty itself.
"Never before in the history of our country has there been a greater need for all of our people to take time to discover what is happening in the world. Every day decisions are being made affecting the lives ofmillions of human beings.
"We as a people have never known bondage. Liberty has always been our blessed lot. Few of us have ever seen people who have lost their freedom--their liberty. And when reminded of the danger of losing our liberty and independence our attitude has usually been--It cannot hapen here.
"We must never forget that nations may--and they usually do-- sow the seeds of their own destruction while enjoying unprecedented prosperity.
"The children of Israel were willing to sacrifice liberty and wanted Moses to be their king. Generations later their descendants begged Samuel the Prophet to give them a king. He pointed out the fallacy of their reasoning.
"Samuel, like other great spiritual leaders both ancient and modern, saw the results that would follow the surrender of liberty.
"In that sacred volume of scripture, the Book of Mormon, we note the great and prolonged struggle for liberty. We also note the complacency of the people and their frequent willingness to give up their liberty for the promises of a would-be provider.
"The record reveals that men 'of cunning device. . . and . . . many flattering words, ' . . . sought. . . . 'to destroy the foundation of liberty which God had granted unto them. . .'
"Then Moroni, the chief commander of the armies. . . dramatically rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it--'In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children'--and he fastened it upon the end of a pole. . . . (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty, to rest upon his brethren. . . .' (Alma 46)
"This great general Moroni, like the prophets whose words are recorded in the Book of Mormon, spoke of the Americas as a choseen land--the land of liberty. He led the people in battle who were willing to fight to 'maintain their liberty.'
"This is our need today--to plant the standard of libety amoung our people throughout the Americas.
"While this incident ocurred some seventy years before Christ, the struggle continued through one thousand years as covered by this sacred Book of Mormon record. In fact, the struggle for liberty is a continuing one--it is with us in a very real sense today right here on this choice land of the Americas.
". . . There are, of course, many reasons. Our apathy--our complacent indifference is a major cause. Today, in America we are living in a fool's paradise. We have permitted ourselves to be pacified and lulled away into carnal security as the Book of Mormon prophets predicted.
" As a people who have known only liberty we are inclined to feel it cannot happen here. We have become lulled away into a false security.
". . . .Yes, we all say, we love liberty. But that is not enough. We must protect and safeguard that which we love. We must save liberty. God grant us the wisdom and courage so to do, before it is too late. "

So there we have it, from someone with much more authority and credibility on the matter than I could ever hope to attain.

If we love liberty, which I know we all do, whether or not it is at the front of our mind or just taken as granted, then "we must save liberty"! Please participate in this blog as one form of standing up in defense of liberty. As the coming content of this blog looks at examples of our freedom being lost, and explores ways to preserve it, please take the time to comment and add your voice to the dialogue, then share this blog with everyone you can so more and more people are involved in the discussion. In this way we can work together to make our individual contributions to this small discussion forum, which can lead to more and more people taking a stand. . . but it means we all must be active in sharing our thoughts, feelings and opinions.

Thanks,
Richard

Source: The Title of Liberty, A Warning Voice. Ezra Taft Benson (compiled by Mark A. Benson) Deseret Book Company pp 92-103

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Snake Oil Salesmen In Our Midst

There are those in our country who believe America is the greatest country on earth. I am one of those people. I believe that not only is America the greatest country on our planet, but it is the greatest nation in all of history. America has led the world in truth, justice, freedom, goodness, and compassion. People are not perfect, therefore our nation is not perfect, but it is a chosen land with a government inspired by God. I believe, as stated by Alexis De' Tocqueville, that America is great because America is good. I believe that the American system has lifted millions out of poverty, relieved untold amounts of suffering, and dignified the human condition.

There are also those in our country who believe America is the source of many of the world's problems. They believe America is a nation of greed, pride, excess and selfishness. These people advocate a nation in which government assumes the responsibility to care for and support the nation, because individuals are not good enough to maintain this responsibility for themselves and their neighbors. They believe that free enterprise and personal liberty can only end in selfishness and greed. They believe that the state must step in to override the greed of people. They believe that people are inherently bad, and that an inherently good government is the antitode to human frailty. They believe that the system upon which our nation was founded is flawed, that the experiment has failed, and that its time to "fundamentally change" America.

We've had these two groups of people in our nation throughout its history, and we undoubtedly always will.

Please take a few minutes to watch this cartoon produced in 1948 by Harding College.



As you viewed this cartoon clip, I'm sure many things jumped out at you as they did at me. Let me share just a few of my observations about this, then I'd love to hear some of your comments.

  • This was produced in 1948. The battle we're facing is not new. But today we are much more vulnerable than we have been in previous decades. Never before has our society been so spiritually bereft and estranged from God. This makes us much more susceptible to the guiles of those peddling "isms" as the way to salvation. Those who espouse the philosophy of change are much more deeply entrenched in positions of power and influence today than at any point in our history. The executive branch and the myriad of advisors, counselers, ministers and czars are more radical in their belief that America should change than ever before. This brings us closer to the cliff's edge than we've ever been. If we reach the tipping point and go over the edge, we will land on the hard surface of socialism. With the state of government and society in this day, what was once considered a potential danger has today become nothing less than looming catastrophe.
  • There are three principle groups in this clip. One group represents the voice of change, wanting America to discard the current system and adopt a new system characterized by "isms" (socialism, statism, communism, fascism. . . its all fundamentally the same). He promises that change to a new system will solve everyone's problems because the state (government) will take care of everything.. Sound familiar??? A snake oil salesman if ever there was one. The second group is the American public. Each is concerned with his personal interests, but they really just want to live their lives and be happy. The third group is represented by John Q Public. This is the voice of understanding. The voice who knows what America is all about and the evil the "isms" represent. Which group do each of us fall into?
  • The peddler wants speed and urgency in making changes. No time to read the documents (sound familiar???) The voice of reason wants things to slow down and the implicatons of change to be understood. How relevant is this in a day of thousand page bills that will fundamentally change the fabric of our nation, but there is no time to even read the contents.
  • Many of those forming part of the general public don't want to give up their freedom, but don't realize what they are flirting with. They need someone to help them see things as they really are. If John Q. Public had not been there to help others awaken to the danger, the worst could have happened. If each of us understand the reality of dangers we are facing, are we continuing to sit on the park bench, or are we standing up and helping awaken others, before its too late?
There were those who advocated discarding our system and changing to a new America back in 1948, and those voices are louder and more forceful today. Are we doing what we can to preserve the freedom upon which our country was founded?

Well, there's much more that can be derived from this highly relevant cartoon clip, but I'd rather hear thoughts from the rest of you. Please, please, please click on the comments link below and share your impressions. There are 260 people viewing this blog, let them know your thoughts and positions on this important matter.

Thanks,
Richard

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

An Un-Ending Chain

One of the least desireable aspects of my job is that it requires me to travel way too much. Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful to have employment in these troubled times that enables me to support my family and enjoy some of the comforts of life. But it would be nice to spend more time at home with Natalie and the kids.

Nevertheless, there are aspects of traveling that make airports, long flights, and lonely hotel rooms a little more tolerable. There is the benefit of piling up frequent flier miles and the award of free hotel nights to occassionally treat the family to a get away. The real perk, however, is that every now and then I get to go places that give me a much clearer perspective on life, and help me to better understand just how blessed we truly are in this day and age.

I never intended this blog to become a travel log of my business trips. But despite the past two posts, one about a visit to Valley Forge and the other describing my Constitution Day trip to Indepence Hall in Philadelphia, please indulge me just one more time to briefly recount three other recent trips that have had a profound impact on me.

Two weeks ago I had to travel to the Philippine Islands for meetings with prospective clients. While it is always interesting to travel internationally, there is one attraction in Manila that I've wanted to see, but did not get the chance in previous visits to the country. That is the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. This cemetary is the burial site of 17,202 members of the U.S. military killed in action during World War II. There is also a monument at the site memorializing another 36,285 soldiers who were lost in the war, but whose remains were never recovered for burial.

I have had much to say in previous blog posts about the tremendous sacrifices made by the courageous men and women who rebelled from a tyrannical government to acheive our indepence. Their nobility will be diminished neither by time nor the apathy of successive generations. As much as we stand indebted to these patriots, we cannot fail to recognize those who have risen at their time in history to defend the liberty our founders passed to them. They too made the ultimate sacrifice to pass the torch of freedom they inherited on to their posterity. Just as the founders of our nation heroically fought to acheive the liberty to exercise our God given rights, countless men and women have lived and died since that time, who have similary sacrificed, not to acquire, but to preserve for future generations that liberty which they were given. These men and women forged their link in the chain of freedom. It is a link of strength, forged in the fires of their adversity, that will never break.

As I looked across the well manicured grounds of the cemetery, noting the gently curving rows of white marble crosses laid out so as to appear from a distance to form perfectly straight lines, I couldn't help but think of those who had tearfully waved goodbye to sons, husbands, and fathers as they departed to play their role in defending our liberty. I shuddered to think that every one of the seemingly endless crosses represented a goodbye that was destined to be the last in this lifetime. I'm sure the tears shed as loved ones deployed to their respective theaters of battle were laced with the fear that they may not return, but how many could truly fathom the intensity of the sacrifice they would be called upon to make? The 17,202 crosses on this plot of land, located on a far off island, represent not only the sacrifice of those who gave their life in battle, but also countless others whose sacrifices were made in the grief of loss that cannot be calculated.

As one of my traveling companions is a retired Major in the US Marine Corps, we were afforded the opportunity of having a tour of the grounds personally led by the cemetery's superintendent. He was able to give us background on some of those interred in this sacred spot, including several who were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.


One view of the grave markers at the cemetery in Manila

Even more striking to me were the 36,285 names inscribed in the limestone memorial known as the "Tablets of the Missing". These are the names of those lost in the war, whose remains were never recovered. I can scarcely imagine the pain of not knowing where or how a loved one met their death, just the sting of them never returning. I pray there was consolation for those who sacrificed in this way in knowing that their loved ones died to preserve the freedom we all enjoy.

I think the most poignant moment of the day for me was when I read the inscription on one of the large limestone panels that captured the whole experience for me. The panel is shown in the picture below.


Inscription on wall reads:
LET US HERE HIGHLY RESOLVE
THAT THE CAUSE
FOR WHICH THEY DIED
SHALL LIVE

This then is our responsibility. It is now our turn to forge a link in the chain of freedom. As the men and women here memorialized passed the torch to us, we must consider how brightly the flame is burning while the torch rests in our hands.

A few days later it was my opportunity to travel to Hawaii and visit the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. This was one of the most overpowering experiences I've had in quite some time. To consider that 1,177 sailors on this one ship lost their lives during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was breathtaking. Prior to boarding a ferry that takes visitors to the memorial built over the sunken wreckage, there is a video presentation shown that recounts the attack on December 7, 1941, shows news footage from the period, and describes the casualties incurred on that fateful day.

As I sat there in the dark theater with tears in my eyes, trying to imagine the sacrifices made on that Sunday morning, I was completely and utterly offended by a Japanese tourist, sitting in the seat next to me in the theater, with her head back, mouth open, loudly snoring within minutes after the lights in the theater were dimmed. Now I have no illusions that the fact of this woman being Japanese is in any way reflective of the Japanese people in general. As a matter of fact, I was actually pleased and impressed by the number of tourists from Japan visiting the site. But the irony was not lost, until when thinking about the experience later I realized that this woman was representative of many of us, even in the U.S.

There are threats to our freedom all around us, both at home and abroad. Men and women have died, and their loved ones have lived with grief and loss. Countless patriots have lived and died to forge their link in the chain of freedom. Yet today, while we have the responsibility of forging the steel that will link the freedom we've been given to the freedom that our children hope to enjoy, many of us are loudly snoring. We have either grown too comfortable and complacent in the freedom we've enjoyed for so long, or we naively believe that our freedom cannot be lost. We must awaken our senses to the peril we are facing today, or the chain could end with us.



A view of the USS Arizona from the air



USS Arizona Memorial taken from the ferry as we pulled away



The wall within the USS Arizona Memorial
that shows the names of those lost onboard the ship

Last week I found myself on yet another business trip. This time I was in New York City. As I often do while visiting New York, I took the opportunity to walk the promenade along New York Harbor and look across the water at the Statue of Liberty. It really is beautiful on a clear late afternoon to see the sun glisten off the statue. I've often sat on a bench at the water's edge and thought about the state of things in our world. But this time as I gazed at the most universally recognized symbol of our liberty, I thought of those who had sacrificed to preserve the liberty the statue represents. I found myself contemplating, as I have many times over the past year, about what little I've done to defend our priceless liberty and about how helpless I sometimes feel. Although I am optimistic and hopeful about what faithful people can do in the defense of freedom, I felt a tinge of guilt over how often I thoughtlessly go about my life and enjoy the freedom I've been given, while giving very little in return. I sincerely hope that I and my family can contribute to forging the link we must contribute to the chain of freedom, and that the chain can be an un-ending one.

Thanks,
Richard