Volume 3, Issue 28
"What started as a revolutionary idea that people could be governed by and through their own will, that birth was not destiny, and that the king was no longer the first estate..."
The answer seems insufficient. We can contribute to the international Red Cross, we can send resources to United Nations world relief organizations, but this seems inadequate to fill the personal need driven by compassion. We can all picture ourselves in that situation thinking --what would we do if we were running for our lives with our families and our children?
Most global conflicts, in their genesis, are conflicts of ideas. This current crisis of humanity is not the result of a culture conflict. This is not a religious conflict. It is the basic conflict of the value placed on lives. The civil war raging in Syria is spawned by dogmas generated by consummate evil. The concept is that peoples must be dominated by ideologies that enslave them to the will of the oppressors, without any hope of free will. The government of Bashar al-Assad has exacerbated the situation by waging war against his own Syrian people. This stems not just from a tribal mentality that only my tribe matters, but also from the emotional opium that maintaining power is paramount over human needs and dignity.
Once again, we Americans find ourselves watching Europe and the Middle East from afar, protected by distance and oceans. Yet, as the world’s greatest power, we have an obligation to address the problem. Taking in some refugees may be the moral thing to do. However, there is a much greater purpose for America. We must represent to the world what we believe as a country for principles that bind the nations. These include the rule of law, due process, independent courts, a free & independent press, and transparency.
Throughout the history of the world, there have been safe harbors that refugees could seek for security and a new life. From the beginning of the appearance of Homo sapiens on the planet, we have been a migratory species. As civilization took root, some would stay and form a society. Others would move on looking for a different way of life. The United States of America was the last great harbor of freedom for people looking for a better way of life. There are now physically no other possibilities for safe harbors. The world is settled geographically. What started in the United States in the 1600s, culminating in the Declaration of Independence in the second half of the 18th century, provided a totally new concept in government. That concept is freedom of the pursuit of happiness, as each individual visualizes the promise.
What started as a revolutionary idea that people could be governed by and through their own will, that birth was not destiny, and that the king was no longer the first estate, the people were the first estate, must be maintained as a “safe harbor of ideas.” This is our contribution to the world. We must commit ourselves more than ever to protecting the basic liberties of free will and freedom.
What does this mean?
First, each individual must take the time to reflect on what it is primarily and essentially that they believe about principles that bind us, not only in society today, but by and through the generations. What is the statement of humanity in this system of things that identifies us in purpose for time upon end? What is the one simple statement that you would proffer to your children that reflects the purpose of life, and that which you are willing to defend with your life?
Tomorrow night is the next scheduled Presidential debate of the Republican candidates vying for the presidency. Soon to follow in October are the Democratic debates. Engage in the process. Ask yourself - which of these candidates exemplifies the principles in which I believe that identifies with my compassion for the families of the world. On the issues of health care, education, poverty, the environment, family values, immigration, economics, states’ rights, foreign policy, and the U.S. role in the world today, how does my position on any of these issues relate to overriding principles for the common good?
If we want to do more to help the dislodged refugees, we must recommit to eternal principles, principles that bind us as a nation, in order to resolve the conflict of ideas.
My name is Marc Nuttle and this is what I believe.
What do you believe?