Dakota Beacon

Happy Birthday Mr. Washington and Mr. Lincoln. I have a confession to make. I never liked the birthday gifts we made for you in elementary school.

I would have rather been taught something true and important that carried a message of your contribution to the political process or to the Presidency.  Something that may of helped us do what Mr. Franklin alluded to when he answered the question after the Second Continental Congress adjourned,

“What have you got for us??” to which he quickly replied, “a Republic, if you can keep it.”

I would have liked to been privy to the some of the most important things on his list of “to dos.” I’m not sure we’re doing so well 230+ years later.  Instant recognition of their profiles isn’t exactly helpful or inspiring.

And in order to catch the Spirit of their age, I. want to travel to South Dakota and get the names (and silhouettes I guess!) of two other presidents in their ranks, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams but my assistant just reminded me that Adams didn’t make the cut or that either!  ‘But I’m listing him as important anyway (you’ll see why in a minute).

I’m making my own list of what might have been on Franklin’s mind.  

1.     In order to keep what these guys hashed over and forged over several week’s time, I must know the defining characteristics of a Republic. (a good resource is Eric Metaxas’ book, “If you Can Keep It.”)

2.     It was considered a departure from and an affront to the Brits who considered it a colony.  These men insisted we have a voice in the government.  In fact, they had taken life-threatening actions to make this clear (they were committing high treason by signing the Declaration of Independence and the infant Constitution.)

3.     Even though they loved George Washington, they had written a section about the Separation of powers into the documents which effectually made it impossible for any one person to become too powerful like a king or emperor.  They went so far as to include the phrase, “There will be no title of nobility given to or taken by the head of state.”

4.     Debate was vigorous and regularly, heated.  A good friend (now Senator Kevin Cramer) always reminds me that politics is a contact sport.  

I’m not advocating that be taken literally, but it’s not for the faint of heart.  I am speaking of the Woke's who think we can't have disagreement or debate.

It's in our DNA as Americans! If Canada wants to be Woke's so be it.

Early in our country there were two camps in regards, to the position of the federal government vs. the state’s right to govern themselves.  This was dealt with rather vaguely at first to give the state any power not specifically under federal control.  It became a major point of contention in Lincoln’s day leading up to the civil war.

5.     John Adams was a major proponent of the idea that the consent of the governed must be an informed consent and an important aspect of it has a moral component.

6.     Individual freedom and the rights endowed by a Creator were inalienable and not up for grabs. Eventually a Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution as the first 10 amendments to protect them.

7.     Property ownership was the underlying tenet which drove the “pursuit of happiness” purported in the Declaration.  The insurance of an avenue (redress of grievances) and peaceful protest as a course of action by the electorate if tyranny raised its head. And if all else fails, the second amendment.

Make no mistake, civility, decorum and a code of ethics were important, but freedom always trumped safety and security.  

There are lots of you who could do a far better job of articulating the common sense of Thomas Paine or the pithy wisdom of Franklin.  

Let me close with this thought. (Back to why I included John Adams in the mix.) He held liberty so closely, it was like he refused leave his post to others who might not be as able to guard it as well as he!!  

Thomas Jefferson might have had a similar idea, because they both died on the same day!  It was exactly 50 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed--July 4, 1826.

Let’s celebrate today and keep the torch of FREEDOM burning in these United States of America.