By Ron Edwards
Clash Daily Contributor
The great Frederick Douglas was born into slavery in 1818 and died one of the major pillars of American History in 1895. He refused to except the bonds of either physical external slavery heaped upon him by others. Mr. Douglas also did not succumb to self- inflicted slavery in his own mind. Unfortunately, far too many of our countrymen and women today have fallen prey to the slavery of self defeat and bitterness which in turn is negatively affecting our republic.
Meanwhile, the United States as a whole continues to decline because many sovereign individuals are achieving far below their positive potential. I am forever amazed at how Frederick Douglas focused upon and obtained his own freedom, long before America battled within herself to free the slaves. Douglas lived a full life as an author, statesman and abolitionist. He was arguably the greatest orator of the 19th century.
His skills as a public speaker were so refined that many of his white abolitionists became offended because, although they wanted blacks to be free, they certainly didn’t think that a black man should out shine them in the arena of public oratory. Some were known to say that the excellence of Frederick Douglas as a speaker was just going a bit too far and he needed to tone it down a bit. Many abolitionists, believed blacks to be victims who would always need help. The way that progressive liberals view black Americans today. Whereas, Mr. Douglas argued that blacks were just as capable as everyone else to fend for themselves.
Of course, Frederick Douglas was himself living proof that an individual could arise from even the lowest station in life and obtain their highest God given potential. Douglas’s mode of thinking offended others who refused to accept the concept of black men reaching the upper realm of accomplishment. That sort of reminds me of the progressives of today who think that Blacks and almost everyone else should exist under the control of others who would control us from cradle to grave.
My belief is that if Frederick Douglas could ascend today to the level of success he enjoyed then, unless one is dead, totally disabled or paralyzed there is no excuse to simply exist. The only other exception to that rule is if the government throttles the economy into retraction through over regulation and high taxes, making it near impossible to create more opportunities via jobs or entrepreneurship.
I believe that a seed of greatness is placed within each of us by our loving creator. Unfortunately, there is an ambitious class of leftist thinkers who want to stunt the growth and achievement of certain people, especially black men.
The founders of our republic had hoped to create a long lasting form of government of free men who would sustain and expand the concept of a society that recognized the unalienable God given rights of everyone. Not unmotivated wards of the state, whose government drones want to tell us what doctor to see, or what we may or may not teach our children.
I personally believe that America will return to her position of greatness. If “we The People” first seek out and travel our individual path to greatness. For as my own father often said, a nation is no greater the path taken by the people.
As we remember the importance of and celebrate patriotism, we must not forget morality. In fact, Thomas Jefferson stated,
The practice of morality being necessary for the well being of society. He [meaning God] has taken care to impress it’s precepts so indelibly on our hearts that they shall not be effaced by the subtleties of our brain. We all agree in the obligation of the moral precepts of Jesus, and nowhere will they be found delivered in greater purity than in his discourses.
Ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls, Americans all: With each passing day our great, but troubled republic drifts just a bit further from the principles rooted in moral strength, courage and God’s living word. We are witnessing a deterioration of affairs both foreign and domestic.
Yes, there is still much to be admired, love and be thankful for in being able to call America home. But we cannot afford to allow her to remain on the present course leading away from her Biblical foundation toward utter disaster. Our freedom and right to be able to promote the Bible, Christmas, the Constitution, and traditional marriage has been disintegrating precipitously. Mainly because of our unwillingness or inability to boldly steer the United States away from the grip of those whose only mission is to fundamentally change our worthy nation into a worthless dictatorship.
Government schools, along with the dragon media, and even major Christian denominations were handed over to those who did not have our nation’s best interest at heart. As a result, several generations of young Americans have been indoctrinated away from the moral, intellectual and spiritual glue that holds our nation together. So now, for the first time in our republic’s history, most government school and college graduates desire communism more than liberty and capitalism.
Our seventh president, Andrew Jackson, also known as old hickory said concerning the Bible, “That Book, sir, is the rock upon which our republic rests.” Unfortunately today, America is sinking in a foundation of sand.
But we don’t have to settle for this. Because as we improve, America regenerates. There is a clear and present course we can embark upon that begins with prayer. Just as our founding fathers knew the power and purpose of prayer to almighty God. There is a process within the God-given wisdom of our founding documents, we have been granted clear and certain processes for bringing about change concerning what we perceive as wrong for our land.
We must participate: Participating within the process for change is the ultimate key to our success. It is foolish to gripe and complain about what one considers wrong or unjust in our land and not participate in the process of changing it for the better.
No one said that the battle would be easy. But we need to persevere as we prepare to welcome in the New Year.
Concerning the fight to reignite the flame of freedom, we must be ready to engage with effort until good triumphs over the forces of evil. The battle is not always won by the strongest, the smartest, or the most elite. But ultimately, victory comes to those who persist without wavering.
I personally believe, that despite the dark clouds of progressivism engulfing America and the enemies from within acting as if they have triumphed through treason, I believe that ilk will soon be in for a rude awakening. Or as President Ronald Reagan once said, “We win, they lose.”
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and may you have a most Happy New Year.
Image: http://douglassalumni.blogspot.com/2010/05/spirit-of-frederick-douglass-inside.html
Ron Edwards is host of the award winning radio commentary The Edwards Notebook is syndicated throughout America.He is a renowned journalist and a highly sought after speaker with numerous organizations. Whether it is exceptional radio commentaries or columns Ron always “Blows away the Myths and reveals the Truth”
