A rare phenomenon!

By Steve Farrell

It is a rare phenomenon, but sometimes Johnny-come-lately political movements get it right. Case in point: The Tea Party Revolution's wise choice to hold up the The United States Constitution rather than the Republican Party as the standard, the true red, white and blue American Ensign to which we must rally to save our nation, our liberties, our families, and our ability to put food on the table, a roof over our heads, and perhaps, with a little extra sweat and ingenuity, get ahead.

They somehow got the memo that many of their bah! bah! blind sheep Republican friends — party folks to the end — still refuse to consider, that the blame for the Constitution's hanging by a thread falls as much — or even more so — upon that false opposition to socialism, humanism, internationalism, and etc., that is today's Republican Party.

The historical problem has been that most every Republican has been acutely aware of the openly 'I hate Capitalism, I hate Christianity, I hate the Constitution' Democrat Party, but few have been equally convinced that there is a dangerous cabal within their own ranks — particularly at the national level — composed of men and women of money, influence, and power that would accomplish the same by stealth, compromise, secularist 'neutrality,'and so forth, all the while sounding as conservative as you please.

And standing right next to them a collection of spineless selfish, some might call soulless Republican sidekicks — non-Establishment men who tra-la-la along to the Eastern Liberal Establishment's blackguardish beat nonetheless ... because that's where the campaign cash is, that's where the media support is, that's how to 'win' elections, and, besides, they're either not conversant or not converted to that New Testament warning about the lukewarm. ...

Add to them, their in-the-trenches fellow laborers, supporters, and run-of-the-mill party members who for whatever cause: either blindness to the facts, or thinking it best to look the other way, or worst of all, being such magnanimous Christians that they resolve to turn the other cheek — with pleasure — election after election, as if to say, 'Hit me again! Hit me again! I just can't get enough of your blessed betrayals!"

It's not that this trouble with party spirit and party men is new. Some two centuries ago British Statesman Edmund Burke warned his countrymen:

You may criticize freely upon the Chinese constitution, and observe with as much severity as you please upon the absurd tricks, or destructive bigotry of the bonzees. But the scene is changed as you come homeward, and atheism or treason may be the names given in Britain, to what would be reason and truth if asserted of China.

And why is this so?

[T]he spirit which actuates ALL parties is the same; the spirit of ambition, of self-interest, of oppression and treachery. This spirit reverses all the principles which a benevolent nature has erected within us; all honesty, all equal justice, and even the ties of natural society, the natural affections.

Better, then, not to be a party man! But that's all in the process of changing now as one Tea Party candidate after another throws out the bums despite Establishment money, despite media opposition, despite the rules of the game, because thus far the Tea Party is not about party at all, but about the Constitution, about fundamental principles, about — let's hope! — men and women of faith and courage who've had enough! That is, about ordinary Americans finally stepping forward in extraordinary ways.

And isn't this the type of "change" America really needs? And wouldn't we like to make this change permanent? It won't be however, and most certainly will be corrupted, rendered ineffective, or completely overthrown and demolished, unless it continues to look to the Constitution, unless it continues to look to the early writings of America's Founders to search out original intent, unless it couples both of these activities with a solid and recurring study of the great moral principles of the Bible, those same general principles of morality and law that guided the leading spirits of the Founding Era in laying the foundation of the world's best government.

Continental Congress member, the Reverend John Witherspoon, asked by Congress to give a 1776 "Fast Day Sermon" stated matter of factly:

It is in the man of piety and inward principle that we may expect to find the uncorrupted patriot, the useful citizen, and the invincible soldier.

He was right. I think we all know in our heart of hearts that he was right.

© Steve Farrell