History Repeats

 As an effort “to temper public concern” regarding the NSA overreach, our President established a five member ‘Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board’.  They held their first meeting on June 21^st behind closed doors. The discussion centered on ways to enlighten the American people on the need of our government to violate our privacy and civil liberties.

 

On 10/27/1775, King George had a similar meeting with his Parliament.  He discussed the Colonists’ discontent and how to quell what may be a rising rebellion. The American’s complaints included: confiscation of private property, deprivation of a trial by jury, judges dependent on the will of the King, the covert transporting of arms and armies, jurisdiction of foreign laws on Americans, imposing taxes without the peoples’ consent, mandatory quartering of troops to effect spying on the residents in their own homes, enlarging an arbitrary government, the erection of unelected offices and officers to harass the people, restrictions on trade and business and the government’s silencing of dissent and assembly.

 

On 7/4/1776 a group of leaders: preachers, doctors, lawyers, merchants and educators, declared independence from an overreaching government.  They pledged their lives, reputations and fortunes in exchange for freedom from a government that dictated their lives.  They did this for their children and their children’s children. They determined that it was self-evident that all men are created equal.  They knew that we are endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights – Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. They envisioned a government “of the People, by the People, and for the People”.  Two hundred and thirty seven years later – have we lost the vision?