Letters to the People #2
In my first letter to you I wrote, “They have pitted us against each other in a battle….” and that my dear fellow citizens must be seen for what it is---futile. Now that is not to say that our individual ideas, beliefs, or convictions are futile. But rather that we all have right to our own diversities and fighting over them is futile. Unless someone would be insistent to force another to take on their same beliefs, ideas against the others will. Which seems to be the goal of the extremists, and that would be unthinkable in our country and is that of a fascist, dictatorship or communist ideology---that does not fit well even in socialism or democracy. To fight with such disregard of another’s rights and freedom to believe as they select and the freedom to live according to their beliefs is not reasonable nor is it American. The continued efforts of both extremes to force their agendas against the belief systems of others are to support the natural path of democracy leading towards fascism, dictatorship, and communist type governments, foreign takeover or complete destruction of such a union of states. Many of the extremist are such as I WAS and have no clue that their extreme insistence is leading us down such a path. If you think that we are on no such path or that it is a stretch on the extreme, then please, do tell me what has happen to every large union of diverse people under a Republic form of government such as ours. China and the USSR are the only current examples, although throughout history there were other large Republic type unions---hmm, what happened to them? They are no more with the exception of China which is a communist nation. There are smaller Republics which are more easily sustainable the oldest being San Marino, the diversities in such are not as extreme and the people of such respect the differences of others within smaller Republics. The United States was an experiment of sorts when it came to a Republic of such size---it had never before been successful. But after much argument and discussion our forefathers made a very risky but wise decision. They formed a Republic form of government in hopes that they in writing our constitution would write it in such a way as to preserve the Republic. They failed, but not out of a lack of diligent effort. So, why did they decide on a Republic form of government and why is that the best form of government for a diverse country such as ours. The reason is simple and yet eludes many liberals and conservatives seemingly not having an understanding of it. A Republic form is the only form of government that guarantees and protects that all can have it their way. That sounds real crazy but I am going to explain how this was to be and how it can be. Everyone getting their rights protected and nobody stepping on the other person’s rights is how it can and will be if we so choose. From the very liberal to the most conservative the right to act, govern and live out your beliefs. Now to make it perfectly clear that I am not writing in just one arena---far from it, but I am talking about everything from your person life to the operational politics of government, the type of government, type of economic system, taxes and on and on. Yes, we can have both socialism and democracy coexisting in our country---in a Republic form of government.
Before I get too deep into the subject of a Republic form of government and the difference between types of government I am going through a series of steps. First you must understand fully that I WAS an extremist to the far right. I am a Christian who has only after much study and prayer come to see things through the eyes of truth. I WAS wrong for being an extremist and as far from what being a Christian example is as I could be. In a future letter I will address those of faith and explain to them why I was indeed wrong. My past actions and opinions have caused many to the left to be set against me and as a result have been the cause of lost freedoms as a Christian. The steps I will take you through are the same steps in brief that I myself took in thoughtful study that lead me to truth and understanding I now have. How I came to know and understand is important to the point that it serves as a path to others that are like I once was. If you are an extremist or even more prone to one side or the other it is my hope that you will read all that I write without making any assumptions before the last of these letters. It is also my hope that you will do it without bias or without be drawn to make preconceived assumptions. Please, be open in your heart and mind as you continue.
My awakening came one day while listening to Rush on Big Talker out of Philadelphia. I must give some credit to my ex-wife for helping to establish contempt for rudeness and arrogance. Before this day I had cheered Rush’s rudeness to select callers and was a huge fan of conservative radio. I listened daily to Glenn, Sean and Rush. As I listened that day Rush was taking calls from listeners, as one of callers began to speak that day Rush rudely cut him off after just a few words, and started berating him--- the caller very nicely and calmly asked to be heard only to have Rush cut the call. It was like a light switch was flipped in my pea brain---it was then that I realized he and my then wife were the same. As nice as I could be with her I was always meet with rudeness, and when I was persistent to be heard as an equal of that union she asked for divorce. Although, I was extremist in my thinking I was never a rude person and perhaps that was why I never got involved before. Not that I was never rude, but rather not by nature. If I were backed into a corner as with my ex I would come out fight and could be very rude and nasty. Yet it just wasn’t in me by nature to be a nasty person and I thought that I would have to be nasty to be involved. Now let me make one thing clear that even though I am a nice guy that does not mean that I am a coward. On the contrary I can be bold to an extreme but nice about it. I have no doubt that I will face attacks from both extremes and their attacks will only prove to be futile acts of arrogance. It will also prove a lot of what I will say as I continue to write these letters that the extremes are destructive to all rights and freedoms we hold dear. On that day I as I was listening to Rush I made an ethical decision to stop listening to everything and everybody. I stopped read newspapers, stopped listen to news, stopped watch TV and stopped reading news, blogs, e-mails and news letters on the internet. Then I started on a journey that would change my whole thought process and that was shockingly enlightening. I began to read world history, American history, study various forms of government, the history of types of governments, how they came to be, how they failed to succeed, why they failed and most importantly I study our path and pattern in relationship to this knowledge. During this time I also spent a lot of time praying for wisdom and reading the Bible. Two things happened that were shocking, the first frightfully shocking and the second was an awakening to truth. The thing that was frightful was the path that we are on was leading us to an end result that neither left or right seems to be fully aware of--- because if they were aware they surely would without reserve be putting on the brakes. The fact is that it is their extremism on both parts that has set our path. The truth that was so shocking is what I will be sharing throughout this series of letters, but more importantly is I will share the truth of hope that I found. I will reveal the resolves to most of our disagreements and show you enlightening new ways to view our country. Everything has a resolve and I will tell you of ways to minimize taxes, resolve debt issues, moral issues, political differences, the war question, and much, much more.
Something really amazing happen doing my search for the truth and answers to my unending questions. As I began to read and study I found myself pulling out selected ideas that fit into what I believed. The more I read, searched and studied to find the answers, the more I realized how arrogant and ignorant I truly was and how my beliefs had been skewed by political extremism and media. Then it happened, something wonderfully amazing, an epiphany that completely transcended anything that I have ever experienced. In filling my mind with so much information at first it was overwhelming and the diversity of ideas seemed to be compartmentalizing as oil and water and they just didn’t mix or have a bond between them. Then as if a miracle I saw and realized the catalyst that pulled all these ideas of extreme diversity together as one remarkable fully functional unit. As I became aware of this remarkable bonding of ideas and diversities, and a resolve to our peril began to emerge. All that I had read started to recall in a very strange mix, diversities seemed to overlap each other become one of the same central thought or idea. These were no longer extremes but one of the same line of thought just on extreme ends of the same line. Then as I reentered into reality of the world slowly it became clearer that what I had discovered was indeed true and that reality proved it to be so. On both ends of the extremes of every subject all desired the same basic things. The problems was that most were lead to believe that in order to win somehow the opposite ideas had to be defeated and vanished. Yet the more this hardline of thinking continues the firmer the other extreme stands true to the idea of conquer or be conquered thus both being conquered by their own arrogance. It is a battle wherein freedom loses and the price is paid by us the common citizen.
John Commoner
12JUL2011
