ANALYSIS/OPINION:
Culture challenge of the week: Freedom’s demise
How ironic that liberty’s death was hastened just a few days before our nation celebrates Independence Day.
Let it be recorded in the history books that Americans were ordered down a forced march toward government oppression on June 28, 2012. And all three branches of our government were responsible for it.
In an unprecedented decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the central feature of Obamacare — the individual mandate — is constitutional. In a startling departure from conservative principles, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. ruled that for the first time in history, Congress has the power to force Americans to engage in commerce and make a specific purchase.
The joke “born to shop” has taken on a whole new, sick meaning.
Most Americans were depending on our system of checks and balances to correct the unconstitutional actions when President Obama championed and Congress passed a law requiring us to buy health insurance or suffer a penalty imposed by the government. But the system of checks and balances did not work on Thursday. Freedom lost, and socialism won on every level. To make matters worse, Justice Roberts called the penalty a “tax” — even though Congress stated specifically, when the draconian measure was passed, that it is not a tax.
With such an oppressive precedent — one in which a Supreme Court justice redefines what a law says for his own mysterious purposes — Americans can expect a plethora of unknown future ills to arise from this Pandora’s box.
The reasoning behind this decision smacks of political cowardice. Remember Mr. Obama’s pointed remarks a few months back, stating that a Supreme Court decision to strike down the individual mandate would be “unprecedented”? His remarks had an intended audience of one: Justice Roberts. And they hit home, intimidating the court into upholding a piece of legislation that is beyond flawed. It’s unconstitutional, at least as our founders understood when they drafted the Constitution.
But now, it’s the law. So where does that leave us, as freedom-loving Americans, patriots, families? Appalled and frightened — but determined.
How to save your family: Fight for freedom
This July 4th, it is not enough just to celebrate freedom — it’s time to become a freedom fighter.
When Patrick Henry said “Give me liberty, or give me death,” I’m quite sure he did not have government-run health insurance in mind. But his words could not be more appropriate to this situation.
As Mr. Obama and Congress and now the Supreme Court destroyed our liberty regarding health issues, they also ushered in health care rationing, inferior care and committees of elitists who will decide who receives what type of care when, and who will be left to suffer and die. It is one reality of the simple laws of supply and demand when there is no competition: There is no way a government-run health care system can supply the needs of all the people. Just ask Canada or Europe.
Every day, Canadian citizens cross the border to receive immediate and superior health care in the United States — but I wonder, once Obamacare fully kicks in, where will Americans go?
When all three branches of government have become oppressive, power-hungry socialist entities, what hope do freedom-loving people have?
Our hope rests in one word: elections.
Thank God, we still have those. And the most important elections of our lifetime are just around the corner.
We must vow to work our hearts out to throw out everyone who supported Obamacare. The senators, the Congress members and the president who demolished freedom must go. That would take care of two of the branches of government responsible for freedom’s demise. And with Mitt Romney, as imperfect and questionable as his own track record on the health care issue is, at least when Supreme Court seats are vacated we’ll have a better chance of getting less oppressive justices than we would with another four years of Mr. Obama.
The Roberts-lead decision has upheld a nearly unbounded governmental authority that can force us to comply with any social schemes the American socialists choose. We must revolt. Let our bold declaration to fight this tyranny at home echo the commitment and resolve of those who pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor in the Declaration of Independence, which started the original battle for American freedom.
This war is over something much deeper than health care. It is a war for the liberty to direct our lives and craft our futures free of government dictates.
Let’s not be discouraged or give up hope. The fight has only just begun and — as our founders showed us so many years ago — we canwin.
• Rebecca Hagelin can be reached at rebeccahowtosaveyourfamily.com.
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