Land of the Submissive and Home of the Wuss... - The Firearms Forum

Shizamus · 07-01-2003, 08:55 PM

The Land of the Submissive and Home of the Wuss By Randall Nunn

on 06/29/03

Is the United States still the "land of the free and the home of the
brave" or have we become such a herd of passive and over-regulated
subjects of arbitrary and meddlesome government that we should be called
the "land of the submissive and the home of the wuss"?

There is a case to be made that we are no longer the free, independent,
and self-reliant nation that we started as in 1776, but have become a
whining, dependent, and subservient multitude kept in line by a vast army
of all-knowing bureaucrats and politically-correct busy-bodies who are
determined to force us to do what they, in their infinite wisdom, deem to
be for the good of society. A review of our situation should make all of
us sit up and take notice and, hopefully, decide to reassert those
ideals, principles and behaviors that made us unique in the entire world.

When the anti-smoking campaigns began, many who were not smokers welcomed
the effort, since it would make everyday life more pleasant, possibly
decrease the number of people suffering tobacco-related health problems
and make the world a better place. We didn't stop to analyze whether
there really were significant health risks caused by second hand smoke or
consider whether governments that could regulate such conduct might use
the same rationale to later move against other behaviors that they
considered unwise or unhealthful. It didn't take long before we found out
that the anti-smoking crusade was just the beginning. Governments saw the
tremendous amount of money that was extracted from tobacco companies by
trial lawyers and juries that ignored individual responsibility and never
bothered to ask about the smokers, "What did they know and when did they
know it?" (the so trendy question that the busy-bodies love to ask about
anyone who is the target of their self-righteous inquisitions). Now we
see the same governments, trial lawyers and busy-bodies initiating
anti-obesity campaigns and launching assaults against Oreo cookies. Too
many of us, rather than voicing outrage at these intrusions and attacks
on our right to make choices, even "dumb" choices, simply shrug and go
about our lives, not worried because we are told by liberal opinion
leaders that our behaviors are destructive. Just because we elected
someone to office or they are employed by a government bureaucracy or
have their own talk show, what gives them the right to dictate to the
rest of us with respect to matters that should be none of government's
business?

We have seat belt laws that allow the police to pull us over and give us
a ticket and fine us $200 if we are not wearing a seat belt because some
know-it-all has decided that seat belts save lives and they are going to
coerce everyone into abiding by the government's edicts. The government
in Massachusetts recently took custody of a couple's children who were
being home-schooled simply because the couple refused to give a
standardized test and complete the required paperwork. We have hate crime
laws that punish people more severely if they uttered "hate speech" in
connection with an otherwise punishable crime. Environmentalists tell us
how we can use our own property. We have school boards that enforce "zero
tolerance" policies that result in expulsions for politically incorrect
statements, drawing pictures of guns or soldiers and other equally
harmless behavior, yet can't educate our children well enough to write a
correct sentence or know the most basic information about our country and
our history. Who gave these people this power? Unfortunately, we did. But
we can take some of it back if we have the courage to confront the
mindless government bureaucracy head on.

All across America and throughout all facets of our society, we have
become a nation obsessed with "do-gooderism". We gladly surrender our
rights and freedoms if we are told that "it will save just one life" or
will improve life "for the children". We don't stop to question this
nonsense when it turns out that most of the tobacco settlement money was
spent by governments for things other than health. We don't stop to think
that with all the massive taxing and spending by governments, our
children are less well-educated and we are less protected by governments
against criminals and terrorist threats from other countries. We spend
more and more of our lives working to pay taxes to the government and
less time enjoying our lives and our families. We listen to talk show
hosts and media pundits telling us that we must do good for others and
"reach out" to whoever dislikes us, our freedoms or our country. What
nonsense! This country and its people have done more good for the world
by the act of setting up the freest and fairest system of government on
the face of the earth and, in the process, giving hope to others that one
day they could achieve a similar result if they had the same courage and
determination. These early Americans did this for themselves in their own
self-interest and desire to be free and not because some twit told them
that "we are the world" and must do it for all the less fortunate people
in the world. Go back and read what the founders said about government
and freedom and you will find that our government today is not an
accurate representation of what they intended to create. Rather than
allowing us to be free and independent and masters of our representative
government, we are put upon daily by an army of goody-two-shoes enforcers
determined to make us do what they have decided is best for us, our
environment and global peace, whether we agree with it or not. Rise up,
Americans! Tell these half-wits that you are mad as hell and you are not
going to take it anymore! Eat more Oreos than you should, smoke a cigar
and drive down the street one night without your seat belt fastened. The
rush it will give you will energize you and maybe give you just the
slightest hint of what it must have felt like for the pioneers to strike
out across the plains without health insurance or social security or how
the brave defenders of the Alamo must have felt breathing second hand
smoke from Santa Ana's cannon even while thumbing their noses at him. You
have nothing to lose but your chains, Americans! That spirit of
independence and longing for true freedom still lies buried deep within
most of us-let's find it and nurture it so that it can once again burst
into full bloom and our country can continue on the path to its destiny
and remain the "shining city on the hill" to the oppressed in the world.

1952Sniper · 07-02-2003, 08:10 AM

Amen! Gone are the days of being "master of your own destiny". There are apparently still some Americans who believe in true freedom. We need to wake up those who are sleeping and retake our country.

07-01-2003, 08:55 PM	#1
Shizamus Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Vermont Posts: 891	Land of the Submissive and Home of the Wuss... The Land of the Submissive and Home of the Wuss By Randall Nunn on 06/29/03 Is the United States still the "land of the free and the home of the brave" or have we become such a herd of passive and over-regulated subjects of arbitrary and meddlesome government that we should be called the "land of the submissive and the home of the wuss"? There is a case to be made that we are no longer the free, independent, and self-reliant nation that we started as in 1776, but have become a whining, dependent, and subservient multitude kept in line by a vast army of all-knowing bureaucrats and politically-correct busy-bodies who are determined to force us to do what they, in their infinite wisdom, deem to be for the good of society. A review of our situation should make all of us sit up and take notice and, hopefully, decide to reassert those ideals, principles and behaviors that made us unique in the entire world. When the anti-smoking campaigns began, many who were not smokers welcomed the effort, since it would make everyday life more pleasant, possibly decrease the number of people suffering tobacco-related health problems and make the world a better place. We didn't stop to analyze whether there really were significant health risks caused by second hand smoke or consider whether governments that could regulate such conduct might use the same rationale to later move against other behaviors that they considered unwise or unhealthful. It didn't take long before we found out that the anti-smoking crusade was just the beginning. Governments saw the tremendous amount of money that was extracted from tobacco companies by trial lawyers and juries that ignored individual responsibility and never bothered to ask about the smokers, "What did they know and when did they know it?" (the so trendy question that the busy-bodies love to ask about anyone who is the target of their self-righteous inquisitions). Now we see the same governments, trial lawyers and busy-bodies initiating anti-obesity campaigns and launching assaults against Oreo cookies. Too many of us, rather than voicing outrage at these intrusions and attacks on our right to make choices, even "dumb" choices, simply shrug and go about our lives, not worried because we are told by liberal opinion leaders that our behaviors are destructive. Just because we elected someone to office or they are employed by a government bureaucracy or have their own talk show, what gives them the right to dictate to the rest of us with respect to matters that should be none of government's business? We have seat belt laws that allow the police to pull us over and give us a ticket and fine us $200 if we are not wearing a seat belt because some know-it-all has decided that seat belts save lives and they are going to coerce everyone into abiding by the government's edicts. The government in Massachusetts recently took custody of a couple's children who were being home-schooled simply because the couple refused to give a standardized test and complete the required paperwork. We have hate crime laws that punish people more severely if they uttered "hate speech" in connection with an otherwise punishable crime. Environmentalists tell us how we can use our own property. We have school boards that enforce "zero tolerance" policies that result in expulsions for politically incorrect statements, drawing pictures of guns or soldiers and other equally harmless behavior, yet can't educate our children well enough to write a correct sentence or know the most basic information about our country and our history. Who gave these people this power? Unfortunately, we did. But we can take some of it back if we have the courage to confront the mindless government bureaucracy head on. All across America and throughout all facets of our society, we have become a nation obsessed with "do-gooderism". We gladly surrender our rights and freedoms if we are told that "it will save just one life" or will improve life "for the children". We don't stop to question this nonsense when it turns out that most of the tobacco settlement money was spent by governments for things other than health. We don't stop to think that with all the massive taxing and spending by governments, our children are less well-educated and we are less protected by governments against criminals and terrorist threats from other countries. We spend more and more of our lives working to pay taxes to the government and less time enjoying our lives and our families. We listen to talk show hosts and media pundits telling us that we must do good for others and "reach out" to whoever dislikes us, our freedoms or our country. What nonsense! This country and its people have done more good for the world by the act of setting up the freest and fairest system of government on the face of the earth and, in the process, giving hope to others that one day they could achieve a similar result if they had the same courage and determination. These early Americans did this for themselves in their own self-interest and desire to be free and not because some twit told them that "we are the world" and must do it for all the less fortunate people in the world. Go back and read what the founders said about government and freedom and you will find that our government today is not an accurate representation of what they intended to create. Rather than allowing us to be free and independent and masters of our representative government, we are put upon daily by an army of goody-two-shoes enforcers determined to make us do what they have decided is best for us, our environment and global peace, whether we agree with it or not. Rise up, Americans! Tell these half-wits that you are mad as hell and you are not going to take it anymore! Eat more Oreos than you should, smoke a cigar and drive down the street one night without your seat belt fastened. The rush it will give you will energize you and maybe give you just the slightest hint of what it must have felt like for the pioneers to strike out across the plains without health insurance or social security or how the brave defenders of the Alamo must have felt breathing second hand smoke from Santa Ana's cannon even while thumbing their noses at him. You have nothing to lose but your chains, Americans! That spirit of independence and longing for true freedom still lies buried deep within most of us-let's find it and nurture it so that it can once again burst into full bloom and our country can continue on the path to its destiny and remain the "shining city on the hill" to the oppressed in the world. -->

07-02-2003, 08:10 AM	#2
1952Sniper Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 5,138	Amen! Gone are the days of being "master of your own destiny". There are apparently still some Americans who believe in true freedom. We need to wake up those who are sleeping and retake our country.