Bonnie Alba
Fight for the republic
By Bonnie Alba
South Carolina's Republican Sen. Jim DeMint has been much in the news these days as he publicly opposes the attempt to push through a muddled Healthcare Bill.
Relatively unknown to citizens outside of South Carolina and adjoining states, Sen. DeMint places himself in the line of fire with his recently released book, Saving Freedom. He has garnered the historical facts to show us that freedom is quietly slipping away in the midst of the Federal Government's continuation of crisis after crisis. The Federal Government uses these unproved crises as excuses for the more rapid expansion of its ever increasing power over our lives.
He should know. At the age of 47, after managing his own business and serving his community for some 15 years, he found himself in the running for a seat in the House. In a surprise run-off, he won against the Democrat incumbent. He served three self-imposed terms in the House and then, through a fluke, now finds himself serving in the Senate.
When his wife and children stood with him as he took the Congressional oath for the first time, he took to heart the oath "...to defend the U.S. Constitution." Unfortunately he soon found out that the oath was quickly forgotten, or ignored, by most congressional members. He stated: "It was never used as justification for legislation because there was little we did that fit within the limited powers of the federal government specified by the Constitution."
The meat of this book points to the historical past, the checks and balances provided by the founders, and contrasts them with the present state of America. DeMint has no qualms about pointing out the specific fallacies and errancies of Congress and government in general regardless of party affiliation. His conclusions draw us to the fact that to most of those elected to "defend the U.S. Constitution" — the governing document is dead to those holding the power.
Particularly valuable are the chapters on Freedom versus Big Government. They are total opposites when it comes down to the Declaration of Independence phrase, "...freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," which has been so distorted and misinterpreted in modern times.
The federal government has taken a myriad of roads to reach this point and "we the people" have acquiesced to the feds continuous growth, thereby decreasing our freedom. Also the various states of the union, tickled by the federal purse strings, continue to cede much of their own constitutional power to Washington.
DeMint's conscience has not and won't let him forget his oath of office as so many have who have allowed themselves to be caught up in the Washington political power structure.
In his conclusive chapters, DeMint gives us tools by which we may make our voices heard. There is only one way for America to return to Freedom as defined by the founding fathers — you and me.
Of all the books published by politicians in the last few years, Sen. DeMint lays the foundation at our feet — it's up to us.
As DeMint said, "We (Americans) are in the middle of what seems like a deep river, and we're not sure we can swim. Now is the time for Americans to decide, once again, to fight for freedom."
The leaders of the disarrayed Republican Party could do no greater service than embrace Sen. Jim DeMint's book as a foundation and guide to renewal if they want to regain disenfranchised members.
© Bonnie Alba
August 20, 2009
South Carolina's Republican Sen. Jim DeMint has been much in the news these days as he publicly opposes the attempt to push through a muddled Healthcare Bill.
Relatively unknown to citizens outside of South Carolina and adjoining states, Sen. DeMint places himself in the line of fire with his recently released book, Saving Freedom. He has garnered the historical facts to show us that freedom is quietly slipping away in the midst of the Federal Government's continuation of crisis after crisis. The Federal Government uses these unproved crises as excuses for the more rapid expansion of its ever increasing power over our lives.
He should know. At the age of 47, after managing his own business and serving his community for some 15 years, he found himself in the running for a seat in the House. In a surprise run-off, he won against the Democrat incumbent. He served three self-imposed terms in the House and then, through a fluke, now finds himself serving in the Senate.
When his wife and children stood with him as he took the Congressional oath for the first time, he took to heart the oath "...to defend the U.S. Constitution." Unfortunately he soon found out that the oath was quickly forgotten, or ignored, by most congressional members. He stated: "It was never used as justification for legislation because there was little we did that fit within the limited powers of the federal government specified by the Constitution."
The meat of this book points to the historical past, the checks and balances provided by the founders, and contrasts them with the present state of America. DeMint has no qualms about pointing out the specific fallacies and errancies of Congress and government in general regardless of party affiliation. His conclusions draw us to the fact that to most of those elected to "defend the U.S. Constitution" — the governing document is dead to those holding the power.
Particularly valuable are the chapters on Freedom versus Big Government. They are total opposites when it comes down to the Declaration of Independence phrase, "...freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," which has been so distorted and misinterpreted in modern times.
The federal government has taken a myriad of roads to reach this point and "we the people" have acquiesced to the feds continuous growth, thereby decreasing our freedom. Also the various states of the union, tickled by the federal purse strings, continue to cede much of their own constitutional power to Washington.
DeMint's conscience has not and won't let him forget his oath of office as so many have who have allowed themselves to be caught up in the Washington political power structure.
In his conclusive chapters, DeMint gives us tools by which we may make our voices heard. There is only one way for America to return to Freedom as defined by the founding fathers — you and me.
Of all the books published by politicians in the last few years, Sen. DeMint lays the foundation at our feet — it's up to us.
As DeMint said, "We (Americans) are in the middle of what seems like a deep river, and we're not sure we can swim. Now is the time for Americans to decide, once again, to fight for freedom."
The leaders of the disarrayed Republican Party could do no greater service than embrace Sen. Jim DeMint's book as a foundation and guide to renewal if they want to regain disenfranchised members.
© Bonnie Alba
The views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)
