RANDY CONOVER
Constitution protects our God-given rights

“The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”
(Bill of Rights, 9th Amendment, 1791)

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
(Bill of Rights, 10th Amendment, 1791)

These three quotations, taken directly from the U.S. Constitution, are certainly among the strongest guarantees which we, the American people, have to safeguard our God-given rights and liberty as citizens of this great nation. In no other nation in history have the people, and individual citizens, enjoyed such high levels of freedom, and the resultant amount of prosperity, not to mention the technological development of the civilization so blessed by God’s favor. Contrary to what some among us over the last century would have us believe (lies!), America has become great, because America has generally sought to be good. This goodness springs from the fact that America has been a nation founded upon Judeo-Christian principles, not Communist, not Progressive/Socialist, not radical Moslem, nor any other. No, our goodness which has allowed for us to become a great nation comes from our beliefs taught through the Judeo-Christian Bible, not these other false-gods’ offerings!

Yet, today America is seriously being threatened by the false-gods’ disciples. Those in the media constantly bombard us with slanted reporting against those faithfully trying to uphold traditional values, or refuse to let their voice be heard at all. Those in government ignore the solemn oath they’ve taken to “uphold, defend, and protect the Constitution of the United States, against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” Those in our courts, twist the clear meanings of the words of our Founders, even referring to court cases of foreign nations to justify their rulings! They even refuse to allow a small child the right to pray in our schools, even though, historically, the Bible was often the only book available which our forefathers could use in learning to read!

So…What to do about it? First, we must stop complacently accepting these false-gods’ teachings and being sheeple, led by the false-gods’ disciples. Pray to our true God for his guidance and protection. Next, open our heart’s inner ears to the small quiet voice of His direction. Then, we must be bold (as Jesus was in the Temple with the money-changers), and rise up against those working evil against our nation, persevering, not quitting until the battle is won. Then not resting on our laurels, but taking up the next God-directed fight. Too long have we, the American people, looked for someone else to do for us. It’s time we awakened as the “sleeping giant” of Admiral Yamamoto’s warning to Japan after Pearl Harbor. Time to rise up and take back our nation, returning to what made us great. To the teachings of our God-inspired Founders. Here is some of what they (and some more-recent writers) say to us:

“The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities.” (Ayn Rand)

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” (Edmund Burke)

“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” (Benjamin Franklin, 1759)

“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” (Wendell Phillips,1852)

“Free government is founded in jealousy, not confidence. It is jealousy and not confidence which prescribes limited constitutions, to bind those we are obliged to trust with power…In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in men, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.” (Thomas Jefferson, 1799)

“If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.” (James Madison, 1788)

“Maybe I did well and maybe I led the battle but nobody ever said we were going to win this thing at any point in time. Eternal vigilance is required and there have to be people who step up to the plate, who believe in liberty, and who are willing to fight for it.” (Milton Friedman)

“The greatest tyrannies are always perpetrated in the name of the noblest causes.” (Thomas Paine)

Yet, there are those among us who say “It can’t happen here.” To those, I refer the warning of another who believed thus. First a supporter of Nazi Germany and its gradual grab of that people’s freedoms. A supporter, that is, until they came for him and he found himself in a concentration/death camp, because of his religious beliefs:

“In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up. “ (Lutheran Pastor Martin Niemoller, 1945)

Yes, it can happen here. It can, that is, if we of the Judeo-Christian faiths continue to allow the evil-powers aligned against us to have their way. If we allow them to continue to divide us! This cancer has been growing for the past several decades. I remember the brief news story of one of the largest Baptist Churches in Indianapolis being shut down in the 1990s over a dispute with the IRS over paperwork!. Most recently, the Catholic Church is standing up to the Federal government over health care providing which have been traditionally against the teachings of that church. Thankfully, many Protestant groups have been supportive of our Catholic brothers and sisters. We’d better be! Remember Pastor Niemoller’s words as you pray for God’s direction on this and other church/government issues.

Randy Conover is a retired educator. He lives in Clermont County.