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Practical spirituality for a complicated world.
"REPORT SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR!"
Dear Readers,
In honor of Independence Day, July 4th, this week's column is dedicated to the public service announcement above. I urge every citizen who reads this to take seriously their obligations as free men and women, thereby ensuring that their freedom is passed on to the generations coming up behind them. Be vigilant. Be alert. Pay attention. I am presently searching for public officials to whom we can report suspicious behavior. I've had no luck (so far) in finding any government official who hasn't been corrupted by power, and bought and sold multiple times by big money. Nevertheless, like my predecessor, Diogenes, I'm still engaged in the search.
Report any attempts at subverting the Constitution! The first 10 amendments to the Constitution are known collectively as the Bill of Rights. But, of course you already knew that. The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution in order to place limits upon the federal government, not as a comprehensive list of rights of the citizens. But, of course, you already knew that. The Constitution was intended to be a document enumerating certain specific powers, by right belonging to the sovereign states entering into a mutually beneficial union, but freely surrendered by the states to a federal government, for the common good. For example, the federal government was charged with the responsibility of negotiating treaties with foreign states, for the mutual benefit of the individual sovereign states composing the union.
Those few basic rights comprising the Bill of Rights, according to the authors of the document, are conferred by the Creator, not the king, not the Civil Rights Commission, not the city council, nor the legislative, judicial or executive branches of government. But, of course you already knew that. Therefore, fellow citizens, if you ever observe any federal employee overstepping his or her bounds, they must be reported. All members of congress, plus members of the executive and judicial branches of the limited federal government, take a solemn oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. If any of them violate that oath, their own actions have condemned them, and made criminals of them. Even though they are members of the wealthy ruling class, they must be removed from office for violating the public trust. It doesn't matter how much of their term or appointment is left. But, you already knew that.
The Constitution and the ideals of liberty enshrined in it, did not spring fully grown from the earth. The Constitution is a product of a long line of legal precedent unique to England, and the Anglo-Saxon culture. But, you already knew that, didn't you? American liberty was a direct descendant of the Magna Charta, or Great Letter, or better yet, Magnificent Charter, which the English barons forced King John to sign in 1215. The document was not too much concerned about the rights of peasants, but was a confirmation of certain rights of the aristocracy that not even the king, himself, or queen herself, could violate without due process. Almost immediately, succeeding monarchs began whittling away at the Magna Charta, yet it remains the mother of what came to be known as "The Rights of Englishmen," and the subsequent American Republic. The tradition of individual rights within a legal system is uniquely English, having arisen in that "sceptered isle," that kingdom of England. The legal concepts of habeas corpus, trial by a jury of one's peers, and the right to be confronted by one's accuser in a court of law are still unknown in much of Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and most certainly, the Middle East. These concepts are gifts to the world from the Anglo-Saxon culture. The Hopi teach us that different races are on the planet for different reasons, bringing different gifts. The Anglo-Saxon people, while not always perfectly walking their talk of liberty and freedom, were yet able to give these gifts to the planet. It is therefore incumbent upon us, the heirs of this legal tradition, to pass it on to succeeding generations. If you ever notice any public officials or government employees who disregard or even deny the right of Habeas Corpus, the right to legal representation, or a fair trial by a jury of one's peers, then that government employee or public official must be removed from office. In our system, we call that procedure "impeachment." There have been occasions when government officials suspended Habeas Corpus, declared martial law, or otherwise curtailed freedom, all in the name of "protecting freedom." As generation after generation tolerated this governmental abuse, it became taken for granted that the Constitution permitted the government to regulate every activity of every citizen, and to play the system for their own personal enrichment; hence we witnessed the birth of political dynasties. However, the Constitution makes no provision for these activities. The officials of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the federal government who continue to support this illegal activity are in violation of their oaths of office and ought to be impeached. At least, that's what the Constitution provides for. But, you already knew that, didn't you?
This Independence Day, July 4th, is an appropriate time to take stock of things. Look around you for any suspicious behavior or activity. See if you notice any government officials who are seeking to limit your freedoms, or the freedoms of your neighbors. According to the spiritual principles of freedom, liberty and human dignity, it is never allowed for governmental officials, whether they be president, vice-president, senator, representative, governor, mayor or city council representative to destroy the Constitution in order to protect it. That is never permissible, under any circumstances. Never, ever. For any reason. But, you already knew that. So, take some time to look around. If you notice anyone endangering freedom, liberty or human dignity, report this activity. If you're really, truly concerned about the security of your homeland, then you need to toss out any corrupt official who seeks to undermine the Constitution. This holds especially true if it is discovered the officials have lied about weapons of mass destruction, voting machines, real estate deals, or even inappropriate sexual activity. A liar of any stripe cannot be trusted to conduct business in an honorable manner. But, I'm telling you things you already know, right? If you ever saw any governmental official conducting himself or herself in such a way, lying, cheating, stealing, raping or sending others off to die in illegal military adventures, you would stand up immediately and demand their trial, flowed by imprisonment, if found to be guilty. You'd do this without hesitation, wouldn't you? Even if the official was a born-again Christian Republican, or a pro-choice Democrat. Right? You wouldn't allow any political party to endanger the Republic, would you? Even if you agreed with some of their policy positions? I can't imagine that any of us would do that. Such behavior would surely endanger the security of the homeland, wouldn't it? It would need to be reported and corrected right away, don't you think?
Dear readers and fellow citizens, have a joyful July 4th. This is the celebration of independence and freedom from the tyranny of a far off, unresponsive, abusive government. Our ancestors successfully rebelled against that tyranny in 1776. We, their descendants, would never tolerate a far off, repressive government, which sought to enslave us, would we? If you notice any activity that would threaten the security of our homeland and the Constitution, report it immediately. When I figure out who we can report it to, I'll let you know.
OM
To ask Robert a question, visit his Web site, RobertOdom.com, e-mail him at desertrj@msn.com , or write him at PO Box 33, Santa Fe, NM 87504.
Santa Fe Reporter