One day after America was officially formed Benjamin Franklin made the statement that Americans had been given a republic if we could keep it. Those simple words have reverberated throught the past two hundred twenty years. The founders of America knew that America would be attacked from both external and internal forces from that day forward. Freedom they knew was an idea that could be lost through complacency. Over the course of these years it has become clear that complacency has become the norm of the day. The idea that the government doesn't care about me or I can't change anything has become a familiar reason for not being involved. It appears to me that this is no more apparent than if you actually ask people basic questions about the current political environment. Ask them "Who is the President?” They most likely will get that correct. Ask them "Who is the Vice-President?” Keep a straight face because the number to get that correct will drop sharply. Ask them "Who are Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi?” They may get one of those correct. Maybe! Let’s move on to who is in charge of this big ship called America.

Thomas Jefferson made it clear that as long as the government feared its people the people would have liberty but that when people began to fear the government then they would live under the tyranny of the few. To rephrase if government fears the people then the people steer the ship. If people fear the government then the government steers the ship. Along these same lines Mr. Franklin has been quoted as saying, "When the people find that they can vote themselves money that will herald the end of the republic." Why does fear of the government and people voting themselves money being noted together. Once the people begin to vote themselves money they have voted themselves into a voluntary servitude. The people will now fear that the government will take away the free handouts and thus the people will not stand up and call for honesty. The people will instead pick a party and toe the line like a good automaton.

George Washington in his farewell speech spoke seriously about the possible disruption that a political party system would bring to the American experiment. The party system in America breeds contempt by members of one party against anyone who is not part of the party. The party system could have been a great if the parties could have prevented what Benjamin Franklin said, "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." George Washington could sense that any American has something to provide to the American experience but as soon as Americans began segregate themselves into parties the individual something is lost to the foolishness of the mob mentality. 

I hope that the idea of America has not been lost in the rhetoric of today's political environment. No one has the right to apologize for America. America is the idea of personnel freedom and as Mr. Franklin said it, "The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself." If one administration wants to apologize for the policies of previous administrations then that is the right of the current administration. Let us as people not get blinded by our own agenda think that a single individual or small group of individual represents the whole.