The United States  Constitution bears witness to the sanctity of person-hood.  The founders of this nation did not begin their voyage to democracy by heralding, “WE the GOLDMAN SACHS, the CITIBANKS, the BANKS OF AMERICA, the WAR MACHINES, the EXXON MOBILES, The NO-BID CONTRACTS, or the HALIBURTONS.”  [Cue the dungeon masters]  Rousseau spoke of tranquility, “Tranquility is found also in dungeons, but is that enough to make them desirable places to live in.”  No, Jean–Jacques, tranquility does not a desirable dungeon make.  The Constitution began by citing the most important ingredient in the recipe of Democracy:  PEOPLE, as in WE the PEOPLE.   

The  freedom ‘enjoyed’ by the people amidst the present-day chaos are not the result of quiet negotiations in an upscale corporate corner office (or are they?).   We’ve been taught that these inalienable (delineated) rights were born in the minds of the free thinkers, carried on the winds of oppression, and written with the sacrificial blood of LIBERTY.    The common definition of Liberty is freedom from arbitrary or despotic (tyrannical) government or control. Yet,  Rousseau nailed it when he stated, “In Genoa, the word, libertas can be read on the front of prisons and on the fetters of galley-slaves.”   Perhaps, this use of the word Liberty is more fitting for our current predicament. The majority of Americans fall into that niche of the ‘galley-slaves’ being held for ransom for the sake of corporate greed, special interest groups, or by warmongering Neanderthals. [Pardon me while I take a moment of silence to memorialize the passing of our dear friend liberty…]

Throughout history many have died to secure our freedom from tyranny; and yet, present day finds many of us struggling to free ourselves from tyranny’s death grip. Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains (Rousseau).  No truer words were ever spoken.   

The establishment of the North Atlantic Colonies was the prelude to government reformation representative of the will of the people collectively.  Collectively.   That word has a nice ring to it, but the collective will of the people is being overshadowed by greed, power, and special interests.

A dream of LIBERTY set sail on the Atlantic Ocean to escape tyranny.   As they say, history repeats itself, but unless 99% of Americans set sail to an obscure island to escape the tyrannical reign of the 1%, we had better get busy defending our LIBERTY from the tyrannical powers that be.   Gather ye the dungeon dwellers, the galley slaves, the warriors of middle earth, there is no kryptonite powerful enough to stop us—it’s time to take America back.

Cross Posted on All Things Democrat