Revolution

Main Entry: rev·o·lu·tion>
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English revolucioun,> from Middle French revolution, from Late Latin revolution-, revolutio,> from Latin revolvere to revolve

a : a sudden, radical, or complete change b : a fundamental change in political organization; especially : the overthrow or renunciation of one government or ruler and the substitution of another by the governed c : activity or movement designed to effect fundamental changes in the socioeconomic situation

Its funny what got me thinking about this. Last night was our fourth show as Waking Hour Music, Daniel Rankin, Matthew Lilley, Chris Schwing and I have brought this idea into reality and its amazing to see how its evolving. It was a great show and I spent the night after the concert at iHop with our musicians and volunteers talking all night. I got back home at 3am and then woke up at 7am to get ready and drive home to Goldsboro for church with my family. Its a normal ritual but this time I was extremely wiped out, the stress from the show, the stress from the first week of school and the design projects I'm undertaking have been weighing on me, so the drive there this morning found me very tired and very blank minded.

I've always been a diversifier in my musical selection in general, I dont adhere to any one form of music, I love every genre, I generally find myself more involved and delving into the alternative rock scene, world music and contemporary christian areas. My mother has made it a point of drilling into my head the need to listen to Christian music in rotation with my regular music because of the uplifting power it has. I've rediscovered its power as of late and am always thankful for the words spoken to my heart through it.

On this particular tired and blank day I turned my cd changer onto my recently purchased (and much adored) CD 'Passion: Everything Glorious', its the live worship from last years Passion Conference and features Chris Tomlin, Matt Redmen, Charlie Hall, David Crowder Band and Kristian Standill. Its an awesome collection of live worship tracks, I encourage everyone to pick it up, its truly amazing music. I let it play through and somewhere around the vicinity of Snow Hill I regained full consciousness and found myself listening to 'We are Yours'. Its my favorite track on the CD and has never ceased to bring me into a spirit of worship, I often find myself sitting in my car with my hands raised, having my own little worship service as I drive around. I love it. I was struck by a verse in the song...

'we are a generation
touched by Your salvation
and made by You and for Your glory
You've marked us here to alter history'

I've been in alot of conversations recently about politics (most of you who know me are thinking, 'when is she not?'), but I've been confronted alot about what I believe. Where I stand on things, what I want, where should our country be heading? Do I still support the President?

Its strikes me. I was raised in a open knowledge household. Books were everywhere. My parents taught me to ready long before most other children my age, and since then, I've been been without a book at hand (see the massive purses I carry around: my criteria for a bag I carry? Will it carry a hardback book, i.e. huge purse for Jamie). My father is an incredibly smart man, truly one of the smartest people I know. He and my Mother have always been very outspoken on politics. Our household was a center for political debates, with friends of my parents always discussing such topics. My father is very much a conservative Republican. My mother is Independent in many ways of thinking. So I've never been stifled in voicing how I feel for fear of political oppression in my house. I grew up debating and defending my beliefs in things and thankfully was allowed and encouraged to make my own opinions on views concerning such things. I've always had a love of politics and its one of my favorite pastimes. I'm actively involved in my party and enjoy debating knowledgeable people (ignorant people trying to debate me makes me sick, I know what I'm talking about, I'm always up to date on the political scene and dont enjoy someone who would rather through insults at my beliefs and party instead of offering sounds facts or opinions backed up with conviction or knowledge on the subject).

I'm a fan of the History Channel and History in general (see my book collection for proof). I am a complete nerd when it comes to it. I adore reading about the past and that love is extended in my area of study: Archeology. I grew up listening to my Dad, also a student of History, quote things like 'The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire', 'The History of the Peloponnesian War' and such documents as the Constitution and, my absolute favorite piece of history 'The Declaration of Independence'. He memorized these important documents by heart and often used them in his debates and I followed him in that aspect. Though I'm incredibly rusty now, I am in love with our Deceleration. I have a copy that hangs on the wall above my desk, its been there since middle school and I happily brought it with my when I moved away to college. Its moving, its powerful. Its the foundation of this country. The beginnings of our freedom. Its a piece of paper bought with a great and terrible price. That document required the sacrifice of so much, all in the belief freedom was a right given by Holy God to ALL of mankind. That the freedom from oppression and tyranny was absolutely the right of every human being on the planet. I recently got to go and see the Declaration in the National Archives. I remember my anticipation as I waited to see it. Then the absolute awe I had as I stood reading it. Its very faded now, but the words still held immense power. I remember reading and having the tears roll down my face, I remember the way that piece of paper humbled me as I stood before it. I remember the power it instilled in me. I remember the way my heart fluttered as I read each word. I remember the pride, the absolute pride I had in the fact that I was so privileged as to grow up in such a nation.

Its what brings me to the song. Charlie Hall leads this worship song and makes the Declaration that we are a generation marked for greatness. Marked to change history. I was reminded tonight as I ate my dinner and watched one of my absolute favorite new series. 'The Revolution' on The History Channel is a hour long program that follows the Revolution from first fire in Boston to the surrendering of the Brits.

I was reminded as I watched how awesome such a venture was. How bold. How terrifying. How much courage it took for those men to come together and write that piece of paper. To pen those words and to take on the burden of a new nation founded on principles of freedom and honor. My favorite part of the declaration is John Hancocks signature. By affixing his name to that piece of paper he was signing what could have been his death sentence had the revolution failed. Most of the men that signed that document lost everything, many died in the fight and all took on the responsibility of a brand new nation. John Hancock made the statement that he signed his name so large because he wanted the British to know exactly that he meant every word. That each word was true and that he stood behind that Declaration and the Cause with all his heart. He wanted no one to doubt his resolve and his allegiance.

Where has that gone today? Where is our allegiance? Where is our devotion to freedom and unity? Do we devote ourselves solely to our party guidelines and shut out the views of all others in the knowledge that only what we each believe is important? Are we shaken from the goal originally written in our first documents? Are we so concerned with the desire to see our particular party in the leading position that we've lost our perspective? Have we lost that pride? Have we forgotten the millions that have died for the cause of our freedom? Are we so crass as to believe that the thing that they bled and died for is allegiance to a man? Or do we remember the desire to be free. The fire that burned in our founding fathers for what they believed in. I make it clear that I am a patriot. I love this country. I love our free nation, I love our melting pot culture, I love our diversity and our freedom of press and knowledge. I love the opportunities we have here. I long to travel abroad and live elsewhere, but the love I have for my nation is forever. I think its time we get back to the basics. I think its time we do as the fathers wished and break down the walls of partisan politics and strive forth in the spirit of freedom as one. I think its time we remember those words that ignited the world...

'IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
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.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --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 new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.'

I want to also point out that this doesn't say anything about being a theocracy. None of our founding documents do. Am I a Christian? Absolutely. Am I a Republican? Absolutely, I believe in my parties political platform and support most of its agenda, absolutely not all. I dont stand with ignorant bigots like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. I dont believe the answer is to "Bring the US back to God where it was founded". Yes, most of our founders were Christians and God is appealed too, however, Theocracy, be definition is not attainable because of human nature. God gave us free will and this country was His blessing on us. Who on earth can have the crass to say that they absolutely speak for God, the Dude who created the universe? Really. Dont be stupid, dont be so haughty as to think that you have anymore authority on what He says than I do. Some are called to His service, but are mearly vessels that He fills, not recordings of His exact words, the Bible is our guideline from Him.

This nation was founded on principles of Freedom for all. Freedom to believe what you like, to live how you'd like. Recall what we were escaping in Briton the first time around? Religious oppression, economic oppression, leaders who were dictating to their people how and why they should live. To be so haughty as to say that an event like 9/11 is retribution from a LOVING GOD on the US because of our acceptance of such practices as abortion and homosexuality is pure, unadulterated stupidity. Such people dont speak for me as a Christian and certainly dont stand for me politically. Take a look at my friends and my point will be made. I'm a rebel at heart. I, as a Republican, believe that States governments should hold more power than federal governments because they know how to best serve their citizens than an all powerful central government. I believe that everytime we create a new tax or take another dollar from our citizens or create another law a little bit more of our freedom is taken from us. I believe in a strong, not all powerful, national defense is absolutely necessary. I also believe in the same things the founding fathers believed in relation to social welfare, in the revolution when an officer was killed and his widow left destitute a possible law was brought to the floor of the congress for federal aid, the founding fathers dismissed the law because they, as I do, believe that social welfare is the place of private agency, whether it be the church or private organizations. The government doesn't need or have the right to take care of the every need of its citizens. There are exceptions and certain situations must be protected by the government, such as the severely handicapped and absolute poor. Welfare has grown out if the original confines and is crippling a whole generation by making them believe that they dont have to work to eat. I believe, in contrast to many in my party, that such amendments as they ERA are a slap in the face to women. I am a citizen of this country, just as much as any man and any other race, I dont need a special amendment to tell me that or to guarantee my rights. I'm not a special subset, and as one of my favorite TV characters ever said on my favorite show ever 'The West Wing' on the ERA....

"It's humiliating! A new amendment stating that I'm equal under the law to a man? I'm mortified to discover that I wasn't before. I am a citizen of this country, not a special subset. I don't need my rights handed down to me by a bunch of old, white men. The same Article 14 that protects you, protects me and I went to law school just to make sure."

The idea that the government has the right to imply that I as a woman or a black man as a minority is somehow less than anyone else is absolutely humiliating and degrading. To think that ignorant tight asses like Falwell and Robertson claim to speak for me is humiliating and degrading. I think for myself, what I believe is my own, and everyone is free to think what they wish, however when they claim to speak for a group they lose their place in the social hierarchy, as my friends and I say all the time, on such things, 'They can shut that hole in their face and stop spewing shit for their version of America and get back to the original idea, freedom for EVERYONE'

I encourage opinions, I dont shut people down, I dont claim to speak for anyone but myself, and as we can see, I dont need anyone to do that for me, so speak what you will, believe what you will, but read those words in the declaration and remember where we came from, what we were escaping, and what we sought in creating this independent nation. Freedom and peace for all to live in prosperity and no fear oppression. No more, no less.