A few days ago, I was sitting here wondering how far we as a country and as a state can slide down the slippery slope toward socialism and still stop. Are we past that point where we are sufficiently anesthetized with promises of free health care and other government supplied goodies that we will complete the journey with no resistance? I hope and pray not.

Watching the House vote Sunday night was surreal. Seeing the joy from those who are in favor of putting the government in control over a sixth of our economy was frustrating, especially when viewed in light of the monumental successes they have had in running Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Post Office, the IRS, the Departments of Energy and Education, Amtrak and DMV’s across the fruited plain.

I watched as the Liberals who are infesting the halls of Congress gave the majority of the people of this country the shaft and effectively told us to sit down and shut up. They who have little at risk in the way of capital or reputation have said they know better than well over half of the population what is best for us and our future. They have said the standards, morals and convictions, which have made the United States the most powerful country on earth and a blessing to the world, need to be changed. President Obama said as much during his campaign when he said, “America is the greatest country in the world; now help me change it”. I have had enough and you should have had enough too. The time is well past where we need to replace those in government who refuse to put the concerns of the country ahead of themselves, those who resist the temptation to be real statesmen and women but answer the siren’s call and seek the celebrity status of being an elected official.

In many cases we do not have the best and brightest running our country and state. We have settled and we are getting what we deserve. It is our fault. Those we have put in power are the same sorts of people who won the high school student council race with promises of free ice cream at lunch. They are not cut from the same cloth as George Washington or Thomas Jefferson or any number of patriots who were willing to lay down their fortunes and sacred honor for freedom and liberty.

Patrick Henry’s famous speech ended with, “Give me liberty or give me death”. I hope we can still muster the people necessary to defend the liberties for which our forefathers sacrificed every material comfort, and in many cases, their lives.

"Posterity — you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it." —John Quincy Adams