Saving The Republic – Come Do Your Part

By Frank Jack Fiamingo

New Jersey –-(Ammoland.com)- I am writing this article because I want to encourage others to help to save the Republic.

Age, Gender, Race, Religion, Creed, etc. are of no consequence.

The only requirements are the desire to live in a nation governed by the rule of law rather than the whim of any particular administration, a respect for individual Liberty and Responsibility, and the willingness to participate as an essential partner with honor and courage.

You don’t have to join a group in order to make a contribution (unless you want to), you just need to act responsibly.

Because there exist both good and evil men in the world, there will always be those who will attempt to control others in order to gain some undeserved benefit at the others expense. These men are usually referred to as criminals or politicians. Their crime ultimately involves either the threat of, or the actual USE of physical force. In some cases it may involve the use of fraud which is simply another word for mental force or deceit.

In part, governments are created to defend against and discourage this kind of behavior and not to engage in it themselves. For the United States of America, our founders wisely chose to establish a Constitutional Republic. This cannot be stated strongly enough because too many of our fellow Americans mistakenly believe that we live in a Democracy. The difference between these two types of government can also not be stressed strongly enough. Under a true Democracy, it is possible for the majority to cast a vote to prevent a minority from being able to exercise their fundamental, human rights. However under a Republican form of government that should not be possible. The reason is simple but profound. A Democracy is controlled by the rule of men, while a Republic is supposed to be executed by men who are limited by the rule of law. In the United States, the highest and most important law is that of the United States Constitution.

The Constitution, along with its amendments constitutes the basis and organization of our government, as well as its legitimacy. Some of us tend to think of the Constitution as granting us our rights. This however is the wrong way to look at our governance. As stated in our founding documents, and as fully recognized by our founders, rights preexist the establishment of government.

Our rights exist by virtue of our being born human rather than as beasts of burden or as wild or domesticated animals. Our rights are inalienable because they are a part of our human nature. We are simply unable to live *AS* human if these rights are prohibited.

What the Constitution actually does is officially recognize these rights and specify that the government has a duty to protect them and not to infringe upon them. The most important way that citizens can ensure their government does not infringe upon their rights is to participate as fully as possible in the administration of its laws and their application. They can accomplish this task by not only voting, but also by consistently making sure that their elected representatives are actually, A.) Following the Constitution and, B.) Respecting the will of the people. When A does not accommodate B, it is the DUTY of our representatives to give the highest priority to the Constitution.

This last statement may sound counter-intuitive to some, but as citizens we have the responsibility to learn and understand our constitution and ensure that it is not breached regardless of any personal benefit that a specific decision may have on us as individuals. However, since if properly governed, we are a government of the people, by the people and for the people, we do retain the ability to revise the Constitution by agreeing on and passing amendments.

What happens when the government as a whole fails to follow the rule of law as outlined in our Constitution? The answer to this question brings us to the importance of the Second Amendment. Our forefathers knew from bitter experience with their British rulers exactly what could happen when a government failed to obey the law or to consider the will of the people. The good news is that his road to tyranny can be short-circuited before it gets started simply by the knowledge that the citizens are armed. That is what was intended by Amendment 2, and that is the way it should be in a FREE nation built upon the ideals of individual Liberty and Responsibility.

No discussion of saving the Republic would be complete without a discussion of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (RKBA). We all understand that these rights do not exist in a vacuum. Like so many of the rights we possess by virtue of being born human, their EXISTENCE does not depend upon the whim of any governmental authority. Unfortunately however, the EXERCISE of these rights “may”. Understanding the distinction between these two situations is critical to understanding the grave importance of the Second Amendment itself.

What does all of this have to do with “SAVING THE REPUBLIC”?
The first point is that we can never afford to lose the ability to exercise our right to keep and bear arms. You will be told over and over again how well the gun ban is working in such and such a country. This is a myth. In most nations where guns are banned, overall crime rates have increased. If you have been forcibly stripped of your right to defend yourself and your loved ones and you become the victim of a violent crime, do you really care whether or not the perpetrator used a knife or a baseball bat instead of a gun? Furthermore, even if the overall crime rate were to be reduced somewhat by a gun ban (highly statistically unlikely), is that worth the loss of protection from tyranny that the right to keep arms provides?

Ironically, this is a right we must retain in order NOT to have to use it for its intended purpose. The exercise of the right to take up arms against tyranny is a “last resort”. So, the question becomes how do we save the republic without having to resort to the use of arms? The answer lies in the underlying description of the true basis of our government – a government *OF* the people, *BY* the people, *FOR* the people.

It is not enough to pay taxes and to vote. While those activities are important, they simply are not sufficient. In order for a government designed to respect individual Liberty and Responsibility to succeed, it is absolutely essential that individuals participate enthusiastically in the workings of their government. For a select few, it may mean actually running for office and winning a seat to help administer the government. However, for MOST of us it simply means paying attention BETWEEN elections and making sure that our opinions and the opinions of our fellow citizens are heard. Always remember that Liberty and Responsibility are two sides of the same coin. If we want more of one, we must be willing to accept more of the other.

Our commitment to the Responsibility side of the coin requires that we become educated on the issues.

This is where so many of us fail. It isn’t simply that some of the issues facing us today are complicated, often it is just a matter of getting past all the manipulative sound bites, and taking the time to go back to review the actual source material, so that we can reach our own independent conclusions. This is easier to do today than ever before, but it takes the willingness to expend a little more time and effort than simply listening to FOX news or Glenn Beck (not that there is anything wrong with either of those activities). In our hearts, we understand that every “news” source has its own agenda. That sometimes makes it difficult to get through the sizzle to get to the substance, but it can be done. Let’s face it, we cannot truly make independent decisions if all we do is hang around in an echo chamber and listen to the same tired voices over and over again.

OK, now that you have taken the time to educate yourself on the issues, if you are a TRUE “Knight of the Republic”, you are obligated to take your newly acquired information and share it with those others who ALSO want to help save the Republic. Remember, this is a government of “the people” not “the person”. It is going to take numbers in order for us to influence the powers that be to follow the law and respect the will of the people. There are a myriad of ways to spread the truth. You can attend meetings and simply talk with other attendees. You can offer to make presentations to any group that might give you a podium. A severely underused method of getting your voice heard by many is a “letter to the editor” or better yet, an “opinion piece” (an explanation of how to write an effective opinion piece will be the subject of a future BLOG article).

The main objective of this article is to emphasize the critical importance of participation in a participatory Constitutional Republic.

I hope that I have given the reader enough reason to look deeper into this process and to understand how incredibly powerful it is. One of the main reasons that it *IS* so powerful is that VERY few people are willing to actually employ this method.

About:
New Jersey Second Amendment Society – Our mission is to promote the free exercise of Second Amendment rights within the community and Legislature of New Jersey, to educate the community regarding the enjoyable, safe, and responsible use of firearms, and to engender a sense of camaraderie and fellowship among the members and their families. Visit: www.nj2as.com