Independence

It's a sad, cold July 4 here in the 21st century. Our great nation faces it's biggest challenge since the Civil War. There is a Napoleon in the White House; a man who is trying to crown himself king - and a cabal of power-brokers who will do anything to help him.

At the heart of this coup d'etat is the contention that the president is above the law, and has special wartime powers to ignore treaties and the laws of congress. As demonstrated, an executive with these 'emergency' powers can quite easily perpetuate an 'emergency' for many years. Certainly, an 'emergency' can be maintained until the populace forgets what true liberty is like.

So 230 years after some brave proto-Americans decided that the ideal of democracy and universal liberty was worth their lives, we have a political party in power willing to trade liberty for safety. To create the illusion of safety, that is, and keep a frightened populace just scared enough to vote for them, no matter how disgracefully they behave.

And the people have bought the ticket. They've been convinced to be fearful. The repeated failures on the part of those entrusted with their safety only add to the fear that keeps the failing party in power.

I've had enough.