Two hundred twenty-eight years ago, on July 4th 1776, 56 men signed a Declaration of Independence, creating a democracy to be governed by representatives elected by its’ people. And so was born the United States of America (USA), not the first such government, but surely the greatest and strongest the world has ever seen. Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, accurately defined the USA as “a county which, for two centuries, has stood as a living symbol of all that is charitable and decent to victims of injustice everywhere-a country in which every person is entitled to dream of happiness, peace, and liberty; where those who have are taught to give back.”

The strength exhibited by Wiesel’s definition, administered by a representative government, is also the nation’s greatest weakness. I have lived through one-third of the nation’s history, encompassing The Great Depression, combat during World War II, and as a father with children during the defective 60s. And now I watch with fearful eyes as the United States’ population divests itself of moral values; is silent as it surrenders its’ liberties; permits our educational system to degrade; and supports socialistic invasion of our democracy.

We passively relinquish more of our personal freedoms to every level of government, utterly unaware, by our own inattentive and apathetic behavior, that we are slowly, but surely permitting a caretaker nation to be established by representatives we elect to govern us. Once, before a 4th of July celebration, President Reagan worried about government intrusion into our daily lives. Reacting to ever increasing social programs, he said, “what was to be celebrated was Independence Day, not Dependence Day.” And British Professor Alexander Tytler wrote over 200 years ago, “when voters discover they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury, the majority always votes for candidates promising the most from the public treasury.”

Politicians know the way to remain in office is to redistribute the nation’s wealth by taking from the “producers” and giving it to the “takers” to gain their support. In 1832, French philosopher Alex De Tocqueville said: “Democracy in the United States will last until those in power learn they can perpetuate themselves through taxation.” In 1958 Reagan said, “If I had to chose one word to describe the salient characteristics of the revolution of our times, the word would be collectivism - the tendency to center the power of all initiative in one central government. One central authority and its organs. And the weapon, the revolutionary agent that has brought this about has been the tax machine. Today’s entire system of taxation was spawned more than a hundred years ago by Karl Marx, who listed it as the prime essential of a socialistic state.” Edmund Morris, in his book “Dutch”, wrote that during Reagan’s speech he jotted down notes such as, average citizen abs. helpless - concentration of power - essence of totalitarianism - either we run gov’t or gov’t runs us - Burke: “all that’s nec. for evil is for good men to do nothing” - no gov’t in hist. has ever voluntarily reduced itself in size.

Consider that over 50% of our incomes are taken in taxes. Yet tax and spend elected officials clamor for more, making taxpayers the source of “sugar” that sweetens their drive for power.

Next November think carefully about giving politicians more of the nation’s wealth to squander. And look at what all candidates have done to see whether their actions support a socialist agenda. For if our elected representatives continue on their present course another “S” will be added to “USA”, as we become the United Socialist States of America (USSA).

Joe Sullivan