While there is truth in the above statement, we must also realize that power does corrupt good people. Remember the prayer of Jabez:
And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that Thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that Thine hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.
And the Apostles’ (Lord’s) prayer:
Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
The prayers ask for God to keep evil and temptation away from us. The first step is simple: do not put yourself in a position where sin or evil will tempt us. Why do you think the other side has been so effective in dividing us? We are easily distracted and do not focus on what is really important: God, kith and kin, and community. If we succeed along with other communities to rebuild areas based on faith, then we can worry (another sin) about a larger government. For now, the state and federal governments are too corrupted by power and greed.
David DeGerolamo
David — Have been a consistent follower for years. I enjoy your periodic counsel on spiritual affairs.
Please do not become dissuaded if some voice their uneasiness with your spiritual suggestions.
This one was a superb reminder of where our humanity gets wrapped around the axle of life, slowing us and deviating us from the right road……
Re-establish governance with ” . . . : God, kith and kin, and community.” based on faith and the Constitution. Key being at the community level. But all confidence in our duly elected good men and true has been lost. They are elected by fraud and purchase and serve for their personal gain and power.
LTCD Walter Fitzpatrick, ret. (The Madisonville Hoax, 2010) seemed to have identified a remedy, i.e. the folks must take lead to persevere. Not with another Battle of Athens but re-instating the, now lost, power of the grand jury. But not the “citizens” grand jury, which no longer has either authority or power, but the conventionally appointed district grand jury.
The grand jury is yet another of those checks and balances things that the Founders envisioned would help keep control of governance at the people level. it started with Wm. Penn in England and was woven into the early colonial governance processes. The grand jury persevered for many years but was eventually finally destroyed in the 20th century. All of this is well documented in Lysander Spooner’s writing.
But understand these features of a grand jury, many of which are still in place today: It is annotated in the Georgia Constitution that the jury will judge the facts and THE LAW, e.g. if the jury finds against the law, it is nullified! The jurors are obligated to investigate what comes before them, i.e you, as a citizen, may present to the grand jury foreman and if he sits a committee of the grand jury and they see validity in your presentation it goes before the jury body for deliberation. That’s power to the people! And it would not take many of those, successful, findings to further empower the people.
But, but, the “system” is corrupted. You will get 10 hots and cot if you don’t take “the law” from the judge. And you will not get anything into a grand jury unless it goes thru the DA. Walt spent many years in county and state prison challenging this system; others have been threatened with jury tampering charges for attempting to use the grand jury as designed.
The answer, of course, is educated jury persons taking over the jury (run away jury) to make it function as designed. Historically the education does not come from the Fully Informed Jury Association, (fija.org), a nice concept but never functional. The answer is education at the grass roots level. Education of individuals who have not experienced radical bilateral orchiectomies and will stand up,sound off, and act like they still have a pair.