THE SECOND SHOT – 234 YEARS LATER

It began April 19, 1775.  The orders from the tyrant were to confiscate all weapons from citizens and silence the dissenters.  The people were prepared, a militia formed, a message was sent out.  An overwhelming force – face to face against her own people.  Then…a single shot… “heard ’round the world.

Now, 234 years later, the people rise to speak again.  In a series of “tea parties” held across the country, the people of our nation rose in discontentment of the increasing disregard of their voices by those chosen to represent them.  With government spending out of control, foreign policy guided by socialist agenda, and continued assaults on the Constitution of the United States, Americans stood and said “ENOUGH.”

Hundreds of thousands, perhaps more than a million Americans stood together and made a statement.  However, their message was not only directed to the government.  Additionally, the “tea parties” were a call to their neighbors.  The message was simple, “You are not alone in your anger.  Our voices can and will be heard.  Together, we will take back our Constitutional Republic.”

The “Tax-Day Tea Parties” proved that America is furious with her leadership.  In contradiction to what the mainstream liberal media have purposely misreported, tea party gatherings were a success with protests in more than 2,000 locations from coast to coast.  The tea party protests drew crowds in small towns and in large cities, with crowds numbering from hundreds in rural areas to masses such as Atlanta’s huge gathering of more than 20,000.  Nashville’s crowd which gathered near the State Capital topped 10,000 people; while Franklin, Tennessee’s small court square attracted more than 3,000 citizens.

Many of us in the conservative movement and media have been warning of the signs of socialism and vast un-American “changes” that have been taking place right before our eyes.  Sadly, only a few astute citizens took the warnings with much concern.  Now, as our Constitutional rights are eroded; our borders continue to be overrun with criminal illegal aliens; and our Congress continues its unprecedented spending spree, more and more Americans are raising their heads from their daily lives.

Average citizens are now beginning to question Obama’s promise of “change.”  They are dumbfounded at the trillions of dollars being allocated to projects with no details to their purpose and viability.  They are shocked at the reality that, after Federal money has been spent, these projects are expected to be continued by their individual states, thus meaning continual rises in taxation.

Unlike the Cuban-friendly members of the Black Congressional Caucus, every true, red-blooded American understands that we cannot allow our country to be turned into a playground for communists ready to pillage our resources and deplete our assets for socialist proliferation.  Unlike the power hungry Pelosi and Reed, Americans know that we cannot forfeit our freedoms for the presumed safety of a nanny-state or a Utopian society.  And, unlike President Obama, Americans do not need to apologize for our role as leader of the free world and the consequences that role requires.

My question to you is:  How many of you will wait until “change” comes to your doorstep, to your child’s school curriculum, to your gun-safe, to your voice, or to your pocket…before you decide to act?  Will you allow your neighbor to fight your battle?  Will you allow communist teachings to be ingrained in your child through, so-called, progressive education?  Will you accept a ban on weapons and ammunition where only the criminals are armed? Will you allow your voice to be silenced for the “good of the public”?  Are you willing to become a slave to your government in order to pay down its enormous deficit?

I, for one, am not willing to sit back and do nothing.  Like  many of you, my ancestors came to this country before it was a nation in order to find a home without constant appeals against tyrannical control.  They fought, bled, sacrificed and died to give us, their children, a future of freedom.  We owe them, not only gratitude, but our oath to endure and to defend their hard-fought victory.

Many of you will ask, Where do I start? I urge you to talk to one another in your communities, towns, churches, organizations.  Educate yourselves and others to the policies that our government has made and the ramifications to your communities and family.  Transcend the labels of “liberal or conservative”, “democrat or republican” to find one unified voice…that of an American patriot.

You must ask, What can I do? Organize like our founding fathers did – talk with your neighbors, your church groups, your clubs and associations, your friends and coworkers, your family.  Don’t despair when individual opinions collide on specific issues. The right of the individual is the basic premise on which our nation was founded.  Our forefathers disagreed on many specific issues, but they all agreed on one primary tenet – individual freedoms; “the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”  Look beyond your differences and look to the realities of events taking place at this critical juncture in our nation’s history.

The “Tax-Day Tea Parties” are only the beginning…a new revolution.  This is a wake up call to all American citizens.  We must be willing to take the next steps to defend the ideals set forth by our forefathers when they formed our republic.

Whether you stand up for your freedoms, or sit quietly and allow your life to be controlled by others, will be your decision.  I ask you this:  At the end of your days, what will you tell your children that you did to defend their freedoms and to protect their future?

And that is…Why It Matters.