THREE HUNDRED YEARS OF FREEDOM

We will celebrate three hundred years of independence in 2076. What an amazing testament to our Founders, and subsequent generations of Americans. I think the time is right for us to evaluate where we are as a nation and I invite you to join me in an open discussion about what we want our nation to be in sixty-six years. Let’s look at what is working and what isn’t, and then we can prioritize the hard work that lies ahead, and get started. I am firmly convinced that this work is for the people. It is far too important to be left to politicians and political parties. Please comment, critique, challenge, be innovative and forward thinking. Join me in this adventure into the future.

It seems to me that our work can logically be divided into major areas such as the nation, citizenship, governance, national defense, the economy, energy, transportation, and caring for the needy. You may already see areas I have left out. Here are my initial thoughts in these areas:

We want our nation to be free, strong, and a beacon of hope to other nations. We want our citizens to be free, prosperous, educated and engaged. We welcome legal immigration and must make it easier to come here legally than illegally. We can and should insist those who seek to join us obey our laws and speak our language. We want the smallest possible government at every level, focused on protecting our individual freedom and empowering citizens to succeed. We want citizen leaders who serve us rather than self-interested career politicians. We want a judicial system that resolves our disputes fairly and efficiently. We want to secure our land, air and sea borders from all enemies, step back from being the world’s policeman, only engage in war after a declaration by Congress, and when necessary, fight to win without hesitation. We want a free enterprise economy that gives every citizen the opportunity to succeed and the risk to fail.

We want the United States to operate within its means without debt or deficit. We want a fair, simple source of revenue for the federal government that is not subject to manipulation by politicians. We should empower States to reorganize their finances and reject onerous contracts just as we now do businesses. We must become energy independent by using our own resources as cleanly and efficiently as possible. We need to rebuild our transportation infrastructure with high-speed rail at the center of long distance and heavy haul transportation. We must recognize that caring for the needy in our society is an individual, not a government responsibility. We can and should empower individuals who share common interests to do this important work through churches and civic organizations. We must respect those who need our help, with a view to their becoming as self-sufficient and productive members of society as possible.

I ask you to take these thoughts to heart. If one of these or another area interests you, lead the dialog in that area. Comment on this blog, or write your story here, or write to me at beawatchman@aol.com. We have a lot of work to do in the next sixty-six years. Keep the faith.