Below is a reprint of a post from 2010.
When the first pilgrims sailed away from their English homeland, they did it to escape tyranny. They were escaping laws that made it impossible to worship God outside the Church of England. Their government was telling them they had only one choice in church attendance. So, families met in the dark, in secret, to hold worship services away from the prying eyes of the King’s men. Some were imprisoned for simply meeting together to worship and pray.
So they turned their eyes to Holland. In Holland, they could raise their children their way, meeting openly and worshipping God. They sacrificed their homeland in order to find freedom.
But the political atmosphere eventually changed in Holland, and the pilgrims (then called Separatists) found themselves again at the mercy of an unfriendly government. After 11 years in Holland, the pilgrims turned their eyes toward a new land.
As they prepared to depart, William Bradford summed it up this way:
“It was answered that all great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and must be enterprised and overcome with answerable courages. It was granted that the dangers were great, but not desperate, and the difficulties were many, but not invincible…and all of them, through the help of God, by fortitude and patience, might either be borne or overcome… (But) their condition was not ordinary. Their ends were good and honorable, their calling lawful and urgent, and therefore they might expect the blessing of God in their proceeding: yea, though they should lose their lives in this action, yet they might have comfort in the same, and their endeavors would be honorable.”
So they sailed for the New World. In the new world there was no King. There was also free land for the taking, with room to spread out, raise crops and raise families. Again, they sacrificed their newly adopted homeland for freedom.
Fast forward 100 years. King George came to power in Britain and immediately decided to increase troops in America. How would he pay for it? Simple. Tax the Americans. The colonists were being taxed for something new every time they turned around. Yet they had no voice in Parliament (taxation without representation). As the situation grew worse, many colonists began to speak out against the King.
On the eve of the Revolution, Patrick Henry called his fellow countrymen to action:
“They tell me that we are weak, but shall we gather strength by irresolution? We are not weak. Three million people, armed in the holy cause of liberty and in such a country, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. We shall not fight alone. God presides over the destinies of nations, and will raise up friends for us. The battle is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave…
Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”
The colonists were willing to sacrifice everything for freedom. Including their lives.
They resisted tyranny. They knew they “were endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; and that among these, were life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Today, we are seeing the modern version of the King’s tyranny. We have an administration who wants to create endless government programs (handouts) that will enslave the population by making us dependent on government. We have an administration which seeks to control what kind of cars we drive, how much air conditioning we use, and what kind of medical treatment we should receive. And who will pay for this? You, the American taxpayer.
What would you sacrifice to oppose tyranny? A night of TV watching? Dinner out with family or friends? Attending a football game? Would you sacrifice the comfort of anonymity to speak out? Our sacrifices are such small ones compared to the generations that have gone before us.
Tea Parties across the nation have grown with each new meeting, and what is more, they have attracted the attention of many average American citizens. This, in turn, has encouraged citizens to speak out at Congressional town hall meetings. Americans are waking up and are alarmed at what is happening in Washington.
Don’t let Washington dismiss us as unimportant. WE are in charge of our government. WE elect the officials and pay their salaries. So WE have a voice.
Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?
The pilgrims sailed from England to the new world to escape tyranny. Then when they got here they imposed their tyranny on the Native Americans. The Native Americans were already here and occupied the land. It was taken from them inch by inch. The freedom and lives of the Native Americans were sacrificed for the freedom of the pilgrims and colonists.
The Native Americans resisted them but the anglo-saxon immigrants believed that it was God's will that the land be theirs. That God loved them and hated the Native Americans who they believed to be heathens and savages. So because they believed the Native Americans were evil savages, the immigrants thought it ok to do whatever they pleased to get rid of them.
Under the current class society there is indeed a dictatorship. But not of one man (Obama) or one party (the Democrats or even the Republicans) but of one social class: the rich. The endless government handouts are going to the rich: the Wall Street banks. Meanwhile programs for poor working people are being slashed or cut altogether. Working people have not become dependent on government, the ruling social class through their tool (the government) is dependent upon us. And always have been. And they make us pay for them and their mistakes.
People do need to wake up. They need to quit watching and being lulled into apathy and complacency through television and sports. People need to become involved and start caring. Start organizing and take to the streets and protest.
There are some legitimately concerned people who attend Tea Parties. But the Tea Parties have been co-opted by the Republican party for them to use as a battering ram against the Democrats in upcoming elections. All with the purpose of putting the Republicans back in power. And when that happens, nothing changes. Still the same group of people who represent the rich elites who own and control everything. We the people should be in charge of the government and run things. Government should work for us. But it doesn't. Thats the illusion. We are taught all that since childhood. But its not true. The politicians should listen to our voice. But the only voice they hear is of big money of lobbyist groups.
Anonymous:
There is a little truth to your point about the Indians. However, the Indians that the Pilgrims met with had a mixture of friendly and savage, and the Pilgrims did their best to determine the difference. The Massasoit tribe was friendly and helpful, and the Pilgrims established peaceful relations with them for decades. But the Indians were not all peaceful, non-violent players in the big picture. All over the world, all throughout history, one group of people conquered another to build a new nation. It was no different here.
I do think that many of the Indians were savages. Savages bash babies against trees and scalp otherwise innocent families. However, I know that there were many innocent tribes who got lumped in together with the savages, and that is unfortunate.
I cannot (and will not) apologize for every wrong event in American history. Americans are still human. We just have a very unique history; one that we should be proud of. There is no nation on this earth that has a spotless history.
I've already had my say on the rich. You seem to have a real chip on your shoulder in that regard.
I do agree that many Tea Party-ers are simply very concerned citizens. I know that, because I've helped to organize at least 5 of them in the past year. Every person that attends is there by their own choice, and out of real concern for our freedoms.
As for putting all new blood in government, I'm all for it! I think we need to start with a clean slate. Maybe I'm a little overly optimistic, but we need a bunch of Mr. Smiths to go to Washington who don't fall into the status quo.