[ the surest route to our common good]

"And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the
protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other
our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."
                                             - - Declaration of Independence

The founding fathers of the United States were gamblers. Maybe that's why
so many of us dash off to the local casinos to honor them on July 4th. Though
the fathers may very well have gotten together for a game of cards now and
then, they were playing for much higher stakes than most of us do. By declaring
independence from England they knew they were risking everything.  Not only
were they betting the farm, (i.e their fortunes ) they knew that if they lost they
would be executed as traitors. With such high stakes it is not surprising that they,
like any gambler, would pray for "divine Providence." "Honor" was the buzz
word of the day for integrity and doing what was morally right*.

Their gamble paid off big time for all of us, but that doesn't mean we
get a free pass. At some point in our lives each of us must prove ourselves
worthy of the risks others have taken for our freedom. The most common
mechanism for this is the armed services. By putting yourself in harms way or
at least making yourself available for service,  the obligation is satisfied.  For
those not called, community service may fulfill this obligation. But nothing honors
the founding  fathers more than standing up for one's rights and the rights of 
others at home as well as abroad. The truth may be "self evident" that freedom
is our  birthright, but it is also a truth that all men would be tyrants if they
could**.  And so, even within the  context of a free society, many of us not born
to rank and privilege must fight for our  freedom against those among  us who
resemble the haughty court of King George III more than they do the founding 
fathers. This is especially so for the Hwy 111 crowd who are as likely as any
to be influenced by the Hollywood and corporate royalty in our midst.

It is a testament to the brilliance of the fathers that our system of governance
accommodates dissent in a manner which actually encourages prudent and controlled
revolution through legislation as a means to avert violent upheaval. "Prudence indeed
will dictate that Government long established should not be changed for light and
transient causes." But should that dark day come,  we too must be willing to pledge to
each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our scared  Honor with a firm reliance on
divine Providence. For now, let us fight among ourselves to test each other's metal
and strengthen our resolve so that should the need arise we will be ready to make that
pledge.

* Honor is not something typically associated with gamblers, let alone sacred
honor.  Humphrey Bogart's character as casino owner Rick in  Casablanca comes
to mind as a  metaphor for personal sacrifice for love as a close second to personal
sacrifice for freedom.

** Daniel Defoe, The Kentish Petition "Nature has left this tincture in the blood,
That all men would be tyrants if they could."