Are you happy with current conditions? Do you know anyone who is? Do you know how we came to be in such dire straits" The present and future can be revealed by studying the past. Take a brief step with me into the pages of history and there you will find a great reveal:
A most unusual monument; known as the "Boot Monument" stands in Saratoga National Historical Park near Albany New York. The dedication is on the rear of the monument and is as cryptic as the odd image on the front. It says: In memory of the "Most brilliant soldier" of the Continental Army who was desperately wounded on this spot the sally port of BORGOYNES GREAT WESTERN REDOUBT 7th. October 1777 winning for his countrymen the decisive battle of the American Revolution and for himself the rank of Major General.
This was indeed the most decisive battle of the Revolution for it proved that the poorly equipped Continental Army could indeed stand and face a large, well disciplined part of the British Army and defeat them. This was the conflict that finally brought France into the Revolution as our ally, and though many years of fighting still lay ahead, assured us victory.
But back to the boot monument. The "most brilliant soldier" had already been wounded several times before the battle of Saratoga. The Battle of Quebec had seen this man shot in the foot. Later he sustained further injuries at the Battle of Ridgefield when his horse was shot from beneath him. His final combat injury was at Saratoga where he so distinguished himself and saved the day for the fledgling American Revolution.
And still this brilliant soldier, three times wounded, a man who led his small army to victory and garnered a great ally for a such a young nation is not even mentioned by name. That seems so unjust! Until you learn that this brilliant soldier's name was Benedict Arnold. Now that is a name that will live in infamy, perhaps even more so that John Wilkes Booth. After all, Booth was a civilian actor, while Benedict Arnold was a highly decorated officer serving under an oath ... an oath he violated.
John Wilkes Booth is one of the most despised names in American history, as well he should be. In his hatred he viciously assassinated one of the greatest men who ever served this nation...but: I will, grudgingly, give credit where it is due. Booth was a weak man, despondent over the downfall of the Confederacy, yet he never had the courage to fight under their flag. In spite of his weakness he, in his little mind, saw himself as a hero, and in one great burst of courage, took the life of a great man and forever altered the future of this country. The one and only time in his life that he had the courage to walk like a man, he struck down a far, far better man than he.
Benedict Arnold was not a weak man. He had most of the qualities of a true hero, and for a period served this country gallantly. Then in a rage, he sold the fledgling nation out to the British. In doing so he made certain that his name would be forever etched on the wall of shame.
As mentioned earlier, the most outstanding difference between him and John Wilkes Booth was that the man who took the life of Lincoln never swore an oath of loyalty to this nation. Benedict Arnold had! So has Barrack Hussein Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, Barney Franks, John Kerry and...the list is long and shameful.
So, put them all side by side and compare qualities. The most famous traitor in American History, Benedict Arnold, did far more for this nation and less damage than the vast majority of our Democratic leaders and a good portion of the Republicans as well. There are many who would challenge that statement and I have never been one to walk away from a worthy challenge, so let us compare the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The unusual boot monument at the beginning of this article describes a man with few equals and yet he fell into disgrace. One might ask "Why?" When the war started he was a successful business man. He was impulsive, inclined to take risks and totally devoted to the concept of liberty. He donated vast sums of money from his shipping company to assist in financing the cash strapped Continental Army. The mere fact that he was successful both in business and battle made him the target of envy. That envy was the source of unwanted enemies, and his impulsive nature did nothing to improve the situation.
Others claimed credit for many of his accomplishments and accused him of wrong doing. He was cleared of all charges, but in the meantime Congress promoted five men, all his juniors, past him in grade. In anger he resigned, but was not to remain that way for long, for none other than General Washington went to him pleading with him to rejoin the cause of the colonies. It was difficult to say no to one such as Washington and before long Benedict Arnold was again in the thick of battle, behaving heroically and again he was attacked by his fellow officers who were safely sipping wine in Philadelphia.
Thanks to his reckless spending, and the money that he had donated to the Revolution, which Congress refused to repay, he was now facing bankruptcy. Add to that a general disgust for his detractors and the Continental Congress. Reaching the breaking point he approached the British with an offer they gladly accepted; in so doing they provided him with the cash he requested. As money changed hands a traitor was born and a betrayal entered the fight for freedom. From that point onward he served the throne with the same fervor he had given to the Revolution, and made the colonists pay dearly for what he felt were undeserved slights.
What of today's leaders? Millions of American citizens have already signed petitions to impeach Barrack Obama. This is the most corrupt regime in the history of the United States, and they don't really put much effort into hiding the fact. They remain strangely confident that power is theirs to keep. Obama has justified his behavior with only two words: "I won!" Many other men have won the presidential election and none have ever committed some of the blatantly corrupt actions that the crowd from Chicago has.
If you don't know the words to the oaths of office for the President, the Senate, and the House of Representatives, click the following link:
"Preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States"....Now those are some noble words, and noble is the man or woman who swears to honor this oath and then lives up to its meaning. It is quite obvious that Barrack Obama did not take those words to heart. He has been quoted as saying that the Constitution is flawed and his every move is indicative of one who is upset about the existence of that sacred document and is doing his best to sidestep all of its restrictions.
It is odd that he warned us in advance what he was going to do, and so many did not heed his words. They ignored the danger and voted for the charm that oozed from his teleprompter. When he said that he was going to transform America it was assumed that those transformations would be beneficial. When he spoke of a private army to enact his policies few thought of Hitler's private army. When he spoke of spreading the wealth he was appealing to those who wanted a share of someone else's wealth that they had not earned. When he told Americans that they had a right to health care how many asked "At who's expense?"
Not yet half way through his term and millions are signing petitions to have him impeached. His supporters fear the future as a change in our power structure will create a dramatic shift in the policies that he has forced upon gullible Americans who made the sad mistake of trusting him. Now his very right to be President is seriously under question and American anger is approaching the boiling point.
He has been leading us down the tried and discarded road of socialism. None who want to better the lot of their fellow countrymen would ever advocate such evil. It is not compatible with progress and every nation that has ever engaged the thorny barbs of collectivism is living proof of the failings of socialist ideals. Without fail, they fail! Any educated individual knows where socialism leads and only promotes it in order to get the gullible to give up their rights, and to allow another to have power over them!
One evil man does not tyranny make. For a totalitarian regime to come into existence there must be conspirators and they are plentiful. The old adage that all it takes for evil to flourish is for good people to nothing, is a proven fact! So many sociopaths go into the world of politics and depending on their talents and America's misfortune, often rise to the top. A totally amoral person can make great inroads into the world of power. Many of our Senators and Congressmen are living proof of this.
The difference between a sociopath and a criminal is that a criminal may well have some standards by which he lives..."Honor among thieves." is a reality. The Mafia and other such groups have a code of conduct by which they live and prosper. A true sociopath has no such inhibitions to restrain the pursuit of power at all costs. Obama in the White House, Nancy Pelosi in the House of Representatives and Harry Reid in the Senate, form a Triumvirate of Evil. There is not one trace of human decency in any of the three. Power is their passion, and power is often gained in the destruction of others. How many have fallen in their pursuit of absolute power. And make no mistake, each and all are in pursuit of absolute power.
Our founding fathers were a truly unique group of men gathered together at one place at the same time for a common purpose. This pivotal moment in time gave birth to the greatest nation ever to grace this fair planet, and through their wisdom, it has remained free for over two hundred years. The Founders knew well the danger of people such as the top three leaders in this nation today, and the damage that they could do. What they could not anticipate was so much evil at one time.
Checks and balances! That was, and is, a great concept. It was with a well planned intent that they designed the government of this nation. The concept was that if one group or individual was gaining too much power then they could be "balanced" by the others. Add a judicial system that could pass laws to control such a power grab and the system is better still. When you add a free watchdog press that can expose dangers, you have a near fool proof system.
Near fool proof, but not perfect. Now the office of the President, the leaders of the House and Senate are all involved in this stupendous power grab. To make matters worse, a progressive media is also misleading the public about the true events that threaten the freedom of all. Were it not for a beleaguered Supreme Court, the Tea Party, one news network and some radio commentators we would be building concentration camps right now, and if you doubt that I will again refer you to history. Adolph Hitler was a great orator, a racist, and a power hungry sociopath, who rode to power on the winds of an economic disaster. Read and compare.
This article began with mention of our most notorious traitor, Benedict Arnold, and it will end with him for I wish to make a comparison. He, a great General, wounded three times in service to the nation, won the most important battle of the Revolutionary War, and then he betrayed his countrymen. In doing so he revealed a weak side of an otherwise great man. This is why that "Boot Monument" stands, to honor the man but not his name, in Saratoga Historical National Park.
To have included his name would have been an affront to all that American Patriots hold dear. To not have acknowledged his outstanding achievements at all would have been an even bigger disgrace to all that is noble in the American spirit. So there it stands, a small monument, weathering the ages, and crying out to all who would hear. Its message does not exonerate a traitor but in the spirit of America gives credit where it is due.
Benedict Arnold did honor the oath that he took, albeit for a brief period, and nearly gave his life on three occasions in loyalty to that oath. We still, after all of these years, look back and call him a traitor, because that is undoubtedly what he was. While it is true that there were mitigating circumstances, the simple fact of the matter is that he was indeed a traitor, and endangered the nation that he had sworn to serve.
Still, in an effort to give credit where it is due, it is my firm conviction that this notorious traitor was a far better American than Barrack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, or Harry Reid. The oaths that they swore were mere technicalities, words without meaning. Those words were just one more lie, in a long series of lies, that were all part of the struggle to gain power. If ever a monument is built to commemorate their contributions it will surely be a locked door, behind which they conspired to cripple the greatest nation in history.
A final thought: Traitors are a strange lot. Once they were hanged, imprisoned or forced into exile. Today they campaign for re-election.
No comments:
Post a Comment