Whether one likes to admit it, or not, although it has been 200 years since a group of British colonists declared their independence from English tyranny, Americans are suffering corporate and religious tyranny that easily exceeds the so-called English tyranny that inspired the Declaration of Independence. Now, if America had stayed true to its Constitution, and the notion that government is supposed to work for “we the people,” there would be little wrong with this country, but as the people have witnessed firsthand over the past six-and-a-half years, Republicans are turning over the nation to two special interests; the rich and the religious. It further demonstrates, indisputably, that Republicans and their various conservative iterations hate everything about America, including its Constitution and it is why they have worked tirelessly to change the nation into a theocratic oligarchy. It is why Americans need to declare their independence again, from the rich and the religious, and reclaim the nation the Founding Fathers and Constitution’s framers put in place.
One of the primary sources of “tyranny” American colonists cited for declaring their independence from England was “taxation without representation,” and it is as true a complaint today as it was in 1776. Although all Americans pay taxes, regardless the cries of Republicans, the people lack representation in government because Republicans have fixed the system to work for the rich, corporations and banks, and religion; the population be damned. If, on the off chance, there is a Supreme Court ruling or government program allowed to stay in place according to the Constitution, Republicans go ballistic and it proves that they hate America; particularly the nation’s founding document, the Constitution.
The recent rulings by the conservative Supreme Court affirming that a legally-passed health insurance reform law is constitutional, and that the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equality and due process apply equally to all Americans raised the ire of Republicans. The rulings incited such rage from anti-American and anti-Constitution Republicans that one Republican governor, Louisiana’s Piyush Jindal issued a call to abolish the nation’s High Court by defunding it out of existence. The rulings so irked the Canadian born Senator from Texas, Ted Cruz, that after claiming it was the “darkest 24 hours in America’s history,” he called for a constitutional amendment subjecting Supreme Court justices to political elections because they adhered to the Constitution and not the bible and billionaire oil magnates the Koch brothers. It has to be noted that if the Founding Fathers intended America to be a Christian theocracy, or under control of the very rich and corporations, they would certainly have made that very clear in the nation’s Constitution but they did not.
A little over a year ago when a group of armed seditionists squared off to wage war on United States federal agents, Republicans rushed to the traitors’ defense and hailed them as true American heroes because they sought to start a revolution against the United States. The man behind the call to rebellion against America he says is illegal, Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, announced two days ago that he gained the assurance of Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul that when he is president he will grant the state of Nevada its sovereignty. Apparently Paul also pledged that as president he would return ‘American‘ land to the states. It is noteworthy that states demanding sovereignty over America, and that ‘American’ land be ceded to those states are controlled by Republicans opposed to the idea of a federal government despite the creation of the government by the U.S. Constitution; a document Republicans hate with religious passion save the 2nd and 10th Amendments.
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President Obama has said, on more than one occasion, that he believes Republicans love America and there may be some semblance of veracity to his assertion. However, the America they “love” is not the same America created by the nation’s founders; something the President must be aware of. It is true that Republicans have worked, in concert with the rich and religious, to fashion America into a theocratic oligarchy, and that since Ronald Reagan was president they have had a measure of success. However, a measure of success has never sufficed and the past six years have revealed they will never be satisfied until they have imposed absolute religious and corporate tyranny on “we the people.”
The true measure of their intent has been manifest since 2011 when Republicans gained control of the House and immediately began their corporate masters’ bidding to dismantle America’s government; particularly any part of the government intended to work for the well-being of the people. Oh, Republicans lied and claimed taking apart the government was borne of ‘fiscal responsibility,’ and cost-saving measures, but their true purpose they never concealed was to transfer the population’s wealth, and tax dollars, to the rich despite the protestations of the people. It was, and is, the epitome of taxation without representation that incited American colonists to declare their independence from England.
One hopes that today while Americans are celebrating the birth of the nation, and the Declaration of Independence, they will take the time to reflect on just how far the nation has drifted from the Founders’ “we the people” sentiment. The preponderance of Americans understand that this nation was not founded as a theocracy, or for the sole benefit for the very, very rich or their corporations. And yet although all Americans pay taxes, Republicans have not given the people representation in how their country is operated by any stretch of the imagination.
The Founding Fathers were explicit in creating the nation, and the Constitution, that government exists to serve the interests of the “we the people;” not churches, not banks, not corporations, and certainly not the very rich. It is high time Americans once again declare their independence, not from a foreign nation, but from Republicans Hell-bent on imposing religious and corporate tyranny on “we the people.” The only difference between American colonists in 1776 and Americans in 2015 is that instead of taking up arms against Republican religious and oligarchical tyranny, they will go to the ballot box to declare their independence. Happy Independence Day!
Audio engineer and instructor for SAE. Writes op/ed commentary supporting Secular Humanist causes, and exposing suppression of women, the poor, and minorities. An advocate for freedom of religion and particularly, freedom of NO religion.
Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn’t look good.
Former minister, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen-Buddhist.
