Tyranny, Like Hell, is not Easily Conquered

I’ve been involved with the Tea Party movement since July of 2009. Ironically enough, July 4, 2009. Last night I found myself in a bar and grill with a bunch of my friends that I’ve formed a bond with from my local tea and others. We have been battling this take-over of the health care system and government control for nearly a year now, and last night they broke through with enough votes to pass the monstrosity. A friend of mine, who left Russia when she was five, was nearly in tears with the understanding that we may well be on the way towards what she ran from.

Over the last months I have done a lot of thinking. I have pulled together with people from all over, discussed things with those with opposing views, and really thought hard and searched for answers from all places. I have dove into our founding documents and other historical texts along with political commentary from today and the last century. I have prayed more for the state of my country in the last months than I ever felt necessary in my formerly mundane life.

In my search, I seem to have found more questions than answers after last night. I’ve always been an idealist, and it’s only been since I’ve hit a sort of maturity after a couple of very hard, very stupid years of my life, and I’m happy to say I’ve come out a better person because of it. A stronger, more devoted person, but my ideals often make any sort of defeat feel larger and more overbearing than it might truly be. This country… I have so much respect for it. We have fought oppression and slavery at every turn since our foundation. We waged war against England, our protector and mother country, to gain independence beginning in 1775 (actually declared in ’76). Brother fought brother in the Civil War to free every man in the country, and women’s rights followed. We fought two World Wars to keep Germany and their allies at bay from quite literally taking over the world and putting it behind the bars of a dictatorship. Then, we spent what seemed like an eternity, and the better part of half a century involved in a cold war against Communism. We now fight a war on terror, but our so-called ‘Commander in Chief’ (wish he’d act like it) refuses to go in to win. Regardless, we, as Americans, have always fought to spread freedom across the world. It is who we are. So I find myself asking ‘why?’ with a gut-wrenching feeling pulling at my heart. Why, when we’ve fought so hard and so long against tyranny, when our nation was formed in a way that should have set up blocks against it, have we fallen into the complicity of government control?


Versions of that question have been ripping and tearing at my mind and soul for a while now. I would venture to say that we lost our Republic last night. When the people so boldly speak out and say ‘We can’t stand for this!’ in a Republic, the government is required to listen. When they ignore, forcing it through by arm-twisting (among other things, I’d say) then how can we reason anything other than the loss of our beloved Republic that we have fought so hard to keep? (That is not to say that it cannot be regained through hard work on her citizens' part.) The questions then must be asked: how much else, between March and November, can they push through, and what other tactics will they take in order to insure their own survival? The government, those that we have elected into office, have chosen, by a majority, to ignore the American people. They have forsaken the oaths that they have taken to uphold the Constitution and will use as many underhanded tricks as they can muster to keep their jobs. I do wonder where it all stops? Does it become too much now, when we teeter on the edge (if not over the edge) of a horrible change from our founding? Or will it be too much when a soft tyranny turns to hard? When we really do become like Soviet Russia? Our Republic was shot down last night. Our way of life was smeared. We The People of the United States were ignored and told we were too stupid to realize what is really good for us.


Thomas Paine said, “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered.” He did not say that it is impossible, but it is not easy. Tyranny threatens us now, and has been threatening for some time. While it threatens, we still have ways to fight it. The primaries have passed, and we have candidates poised (in most areas) for the November elections. Help them. Pray for them. Campaign for them and do whatever you can to put true CONSERVATIVE men and women up in DC. At the very least we can stall Obama on his attempts to bring this country down until we can vote him out in 2012. While they ignored our laws last night, we still have them and the idealist in me cannot let me believe that there is not a way out of this. I refuse to roll over and give up to these people. That is what they want, and I refuse to give in. Last I heard, twelve states are ready to sue over this bill. I’m proud to say Texas is one.

I urge you to look to our founders and their words on how they meant to set this country up. Thomas Jefferson said, “Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare but only those specifically enumerated.” Patrick Henry said, “Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel.” John Adams, in much the same light, said, “Liberty must at all hazards be supported.” And finally, Thomas Paine urged, “What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.” We must be stead in our fight for our Republic. It has not moved away from us for good, at this point, but their certainly trying up in DC right now. Remember how our forefathers valued our Freedoms. Remember that Liberty is dear to us, as it is to human kind. While mankind has always had a habit, in small groups, of trying to subdue their fellow man, those that are meant to be subdued will rarely stand for it. It is in human nature to be free, and I can believe nothing less.