Post by mtremper on Jul 6, 2009 10:03:35 GMT -5
Here is a thought-provoking e-mail that I received over the weekend from Chuck Gifford, the President of Local Business Network. This went out to business professionals in over 50 chapters all across Southeastern Michigan. Regardless of your political leanings or affiliations, I think that we can all agree that we want to live in a country that provides the freedoms that we currently enjoy!
"LBNInfo: Will This Be Our Last Independence Day? July 4, 2009
"Today, we celebrate Independence Day and this year it has special meaning to me, because for the first time in my life, I feel that there is a distinct possibility that the freedoms our forefathers fought so bravely to give us could soon be lost forever. Not to a foreign nation, not to an international foe, but through our own complacency and a growing internal threat that could soon consume us all. For the first time in my life, I fear our own government, a government that seems to represent a set of values totally inconsistent with the beliefs that have sustained this Nation, a government that is totally out of control, a government that does not seem to have any concept of fiscal responsibility, nor the fact that our freedom is dependent upon our economic viability. I fear for my children and for my grandchildren!
"The agenda of our elected representatives seems to be purely self serving, dedicated to their self preservation, to the special interest groups that they represent and to the expansion of their power. Legislation representing trillions of dollars of expenditures (our money, not theirs) and containing extraordinary shifts in political power are kept under wraps until the 11th hour and are then rammed through the legislative process with little or no discussion. No one, not even those who are proposing the legislation, has the time or takes the time to read the bills upon which they are voting. Is this the way you expect our government to operate? Is this okay with you? Why haven’t you spoken out? Unless there is a groundswell of outrage, we will continue down this disastrous course.
"The fourth estate (the media), the watch dogs of our freedoms have become lap dogs, doing the bidding of their masters. Those who dare to speak out against this government are ridiculed, vilified and crucified by the press. We can no longer rely upon them to represent our interests, to protect our freedoms. We must stand up and speak out. Have you called, e-mailed or written your representatives at both the Federal and State levels to express your concerns? “All it takes for evil to succeed, is for good men to remain silent?” Your silence is deafening.
"We, the business professionals who create our economy, are the clearly identified enemy of our government. Is it time to admit that the American Dream is officially dead? If we were smart, we would all go seek jobs in government, because there is no future in the private sector. Even as we are ridiculed and vilified, we are called upon to save our nation from the disastrous economy which is worsened daily by the legislation being passed. Our government, which created this crisis, is now running major portions of our economy and is reaching out to grab control over even more as fast as it can. Those in government have become the ruling class and we are enslaved to support their limitless greed. Government employees are more highly paid than those in the private sector and the outrageous benefits they have approved for themselves are literally bankrupting our state and local governments. You and I pay the tab.
"'Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.' We are seeing the truth of this axiom play out before us. If you do not get involved today, if you do not speak out loudly, clearly and with passion, the scale will soon tip so far in the favor of this new ruling class that we will no longer be able to right the ship.
"As for me, I cannot sit by idly and watch our Nation be destroyed. My wife and I will be going to a Tea Party in Northville later today and we will speak out against the things we feel are so clearly wrong. We will get involved in the struggle to save our Nation in other ways as well. We can no longer sit by and leave that task to others.
"On this Independence Day, we pray for you and for your families and for this great Nation in which we live.
Chuck Gifford"
"LBNInfo: Will This Be Our Last Independence Day? July 4, 2009
"Today, we celebrate Independence Day and this year it has special meaning to me, because for the first time in my life, I feel that there is a distinct possibility that the freedoms our forefathers fought so bravely to give us could soon be lost forever. Not to a foreign nation, not to an international foe, but through our own complacency and a growing internal threat that could soon consume us all. For the first time in my life, I fear our own government, a government that seems to represent a set of values totally inconsistent with the beliefs that have sustained this Nation, a government that is totally out of control, a government that does not seem to have any concept of fiscal responsibility, nor the fact that our freedom is dependent upon our economic viability. I fear for my children and for my grandchildren!
"The agenda of our elected representatives seems to be purely self serving, dedicated to their self preservation, to the special interest groups that they represent and to the expansion of their power. Legislation representing trillions of dollars of expenditures (our money, not theirs) and containing extraordinary shifts in political power are kept under wraps until the 11th hour and are then rammed through the legislative process with little or no discussion. No one, not even those who are proposing the legislation, has the time or takes the time to read the bills upon which they are voting. Is this the way you expect our government to operate? Is this okay with you? Why haven’t you spoken out? Unless there is a groundswell of outrage, we will continue down this disastrous course.
"The fourth estate (the media), the watch dogs of our freedoms have become lap dogs, doing the bidding of their masters. Those who dare to speak out against this government are ridiculed, vilified and crucified by the press. We can no longer rely upon them to represent our interests, to protect our freedoms. We must stand up and speak out. Have you called, e-mailed or written your representatives at both the Federal and State levels to express your concerns? “All it takes for evil to succeed, is for good men to remain silent?” Your silence is deafening.
"We, the business professionals who create our economy, are the clearly identified enemy of our government. Is it time to admit that the American Dream is officially dead? If we were smart, we would all go seek jobs in government, because there is no future in the private sector. Even as we are ridiculed and vilified, we are called upon to save our nation from the disastrous economy which is worsened daily by the legislation being passed. Our government, which created this crisis, is now running major portions of our economy and is reaching out to grab control over even more as fast as it can. Those in government have become the ruling class and we are enslaved to support their limitless greed. Government employees are more highly paid than those in the private sector and the outrageous benefits they have approved for themselves are literally bankrupting our state and local governments. You and I pay the tab.
"'Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.' We are seeing the truth of this axiom play out before us. If you do not get involved today, if you do not speak out loudly, clearly and with passion, the scale will soon tip so far in the favor of this new ruling class that we will no longer be able to right the ship.
"As for me, I cannot sit by idly and watch our Nation be destroyed. My wife and I will be going to a Tea Party in Northville later today and we will speak out against the things we feel are so clearly wrong. We will get involved in the struggle to save our Nation in other ways as well. We can no longer sit by and leave that task to others.
"On this Independence Day, we pray for you and for your families and for this great Nation in which we live.
Chuck Gifford"
