Life, Liberty, And The Pursuit Of Happiness

By:  John “Butch” Dale

When I taught 5th grade Social Studies, each student was required to know and memorize several things. For instance, they had to know the Pledge of Allegiance, the words to the Star-Spangled Banner, the states and capitals, the Bill of Rights, and all of the U.S. Presidents in chronological order, just to name a few. They also had to memorize this section of the Declaration of Independence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

In the past few years, the American people have lost many of their freedoms. Our federal government, along with the hundreds of bureaucratic agencies, now control almost every aspect of our lives. Administrative rule is now America’s system of government. We were once a republic, but now we are governed by edicts, mandates, and executive orders, with less and less freedom each passing day. This situation has certainly curtailed my “pursuit of Happiness.”

One party controls almost every institution in America. Barack Hussein Obama promised “fundamental change.” He was successful. Individual rights and responsibilities, and individual freedoms, are cast aside in favor of progressive socialism. The federal government considers itself to be our caretaker. Accordingly, we should be glad they are looking out for us. After all, they know what is best for everyone, don’t they? They, and they alone, make the decisions. I have no issues with our local Democratic party, all of whom have common sense and care about Montgomery county. But the national Democrat party, which at one time represented the average working men and women and their families, now only cater to the large cities, liberal fanatics, Hollywood, the minorities, and the woke crowd. And if a conservative or outsider dare challenge their authority and power, these politicians will seek to squelch any uprising. The news media and social media, the motion picture industry, the teacher unions, and the majority of the federal courts are simply extensions of the Democrat party. Welcome to Obama’s world. You have to admit; he was a great actor. And what about Ol’ Joe? We need to remember what Obama said about Joe Biden during the 2020 election…”Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to **** things up.” Joe is just a puppet on a string…Howdy Doody reincarnated.

So to you all-knowing, power hungry politicians in Washington, D.C. who want to control my life, I will remind you…

I do not want you to advocate for “social justice programs” that seek to defund the police and institute “no cash bail” for dangerous felons. I want a wall built to keep out illegal aliens, terrorists, cartels, and drug smugglers. I do not want the FBI to intimidate parents who show up at school board meetings to protest insane liberal policies. I do not want my taxes to subsidize abortion clinics. I do not want my school-age granddaughters forced to use “gender neutral” restrooms. I do not want you to read and monitor my E-mails. I will not give up my right to buy a gun for self-protection if I so choose. I do not want an electric-powered car. I don’t want you to tell me what type of light bulbs, showerheads, gas stoves, refrigerators, ceiling lights, and washing machines I can buy. I am not going to be forced into wearing a mask or getting a vaccination just because you say so. I am tired of high-priced gas and high interest rates because of your ridiculous policies. And don’t think you can increase the number of judges on the Supreme Court when their decisions don’t go your way. Finally…to all of you politicians, both Democrat and Republican, who have been in Congress much too long, I want term limits…NOW!

In retrospect, I should have also had my students memorize this section of the Declaration:

“That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its power in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Safety and Happiness.”

In the 1976 movie “Network,” Howard Beale shouted, “I’m mad as Hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!” Many people in our great country are starting to feel that way. Unless things change, I believe that the above stated

“Right of the People” may be fast approaching.

– John “Butch” Dale is a retired teacher and County Sheriff. He has also been the librarian at Darlington the past 32 years, and is a well-known artist and author of local history.