Have you ever noticed how you can live quite comfortably with your beliefs & opinions for along time and never realize just how strong you feel about an issue until your belief is questioned? When that happens one of two things result; either you bend your belief system to match the challenge or your existing feelings are cemented and become more firmly rooted than ever before. I read a book a while back that delivered this type of experience. I believe that I have mentioned it to some of you, “Profiles in Courage” by JFK. The first chapter did not make me question my beliefs it simply made me mad. I have rarely read anything which raised my dander to the level produced by Senator Kennedy’s explanation of what it takes to be a politician. I felt that he was promoting compromise over conscience. I really had a hard time with his position. The reminder of the book was outstanding! The portrayals of men for whom conscience & personal integrity meant more than popularity & prestige made my spirits soar. It is possible for men to participate in politics & not be tainted by the environment. I want to briefly summarize two of the biographies from the book.
Remember Sam Houston, the guy who left the Alamo to go for reinforcements but did not return on time to save the mission or her defenders. Soon thereafter Houston did beat Santa Ana & win independence for Texas. Sam Houston was her first president. When Texas was admitted into the Union Houston became a Congressman in the turbulent years leading up to Lincoln’s presidency & the Civil War. During this time of political turmoil, in spite of opposition from all sides Houston never waivered in his support of the Union. He once stated “think you, sir, after the difficulties Texans have encountered to get into the Union, that you can whip her out of it? No, sir… we shed our blood to get into it… We were among the last to come into the Union, and being in, we will be the last to get out. … (We) must stand firm to the Union, regardless of all personal consequences.” This was not a popular opinion for the representative of a Southern slave state. Public opinion gradually grew until he & his unionist views where voted out of Congress. He returned to Texas & somehow got elected as Governor where he continued to speak in favor of the Union. Here to he was eventually forced out as Texas succeeded. In his last official message as Governor he said “I am stricken down because I will not yield those principles which I have fought for…. The severest pang is that the blow comes in the name of the state of Texas.”
In like manner Thomas Hart Benton, the first Senator from Missouri, fought ferociously for the union while watching a 30 year career wither and die. As the battle lines began to form, dividing the North & South Benton found himself a vocal supporter of the Union representing a slave state. Like Houston Benton refused to change his mind or temper his tongue about the need for unity & reconciliation. Early in his life he determined that “if it should ever become necessary, for the good of the country, (I) would sacrifice (my) own political existence.” That is exactly what he did. He would not remain silent even to retain the seat he loved for future battles. Neither of these great men wavered in the defense of their beliefs. They would not compromise their values. They lived lives of integrity, courage & valor.
Compromise is a necessary & beneficial part of government. Rarely would anything ever be accomplished without it because whole hearted agreement among large groups is impossible. There is clearly a time for compromise. It is not however the right answer for every quarrel.
When the issue in question concerns revealed truths any compromise is wrong.
Revealed truths are principles and instruction given by God. The constitution is reveled truth. The scriptures contain revealed truth. The family proclamation is clear succinct revealed truth. Although we cannot force our beliefs on anyone our laws, leaders and government practices should be representative of the majority’s belief system. My personal liberty ends as soon as it infringes on someone else’s right to do the same. The problem we face today is that our judicial system has been so concerned with maintaining the rights of vocal special interest groups that many of these revealed truths have been compromised. A city no longer has a right to display evidence of Christian belief. We cannot pray in school. There is a movement to remove all reference to God from our Government, from our money, our pledge, everywhere. Abortion (Murder) is legal and homosexuality rewarded but if I stand up and speak out against the injustices of our government I can be named “an enemy combatant” and be stripped of my rights. I find it offensive that my beliefs, the majority’s beliefs, take second seat to a relative handful of vocal antichrists. Even more abrasive are those Christians who allow this to happen in the name of fair & equitable government. What ever happened to majority rule? Compromise happened. In an effort to resolve dissonant voices we have allowed minority beliefs to infringe on the revealed truths upheld by the majority.
Any compromise moves us away from truth. It dose not matter if we give a little or a lot me move away from our sure foundation. In compromise Satan always wins. He is just as intent on bringing down our government & stealing away or freedoms as he is on breaking up our families. Compromise enough and pretty soon the intent of the Constitutions is misread as individual freedom at the expense of the community. “Our Constitution was made only for a moral & religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other” - John Adams. We have compromised entirely too often. The general population has relinquished too much to minority rule. We need moral leaders who will fight to regain & maintain our God given rights; Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We need people who understand public virtue, the act of sacrificing oneself in favor of the public good. We are all entirely too selfish.
Voting for the lesser of evils is compromise, in doing so we distort the voters’ true desire. Morally we cannot expect more of our leaders than of ourselves. If we expect government officials to vote their conscience then we have to do likewise. Anything less would be hypocritical. Our form of elected government functions best when the elected officials truly represent the wishes & ideas of their constituents. “Now, it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it you law – to do your business by the voice of the people” (Mosiah 29:26 , (25-29)). If we do not vote our conscience than how do we express the goodness that is in our hearts? How can the right man get elected if we persist in lowering our standards for fear of casting an ineffectual vote? The only meaningless vote is the one not cast. A vote for the party leader will be but one of many. A vote for the best man will always be significant, if only to oneself.
In 20 years Ron Paul’s record is consistent, predictable. He always votes against tax increase in any form. He always advocates smaller national government. He votes for fiscal responsibility. He consistently defends personal liberty and cries for a return to old fashion constitutional principles. He is a man of integrity who like Benton & Houston is not afraid to follow his conscience. He is very electable all he needs is your vote.
Ron Paul, The only “HOPE for AMERICA”
For what it is worth
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