Are you comfortable with the word REVOLT?

Thursday – September 16, 2010

Are you comfortable with the word REVOLT?

What’s in a word? A few letters make up the spelling, words can be an adjective or a noun and words can bring about great change!

The word revolt is defined as: 1 to renounce allegiance or subjection (as to a government): REBEL 2 a: to experience disgust or shock to turn away with disgust: to cause to turn away or shrink with disgust or abhorrence, a determined armed uprising a movement or expression of vigorous dissent.

There has been a silent revolt over the course of this primary season. With every contest that has been fought and that has been voted on the revolt of the people have been felt. Not necessarily by the liberal, but by the conservative and the Republican Party. The revolt that has taken place has not occurred by the liberal or the elite. It has happened by people who take the politics of today seriously.

If you analyze the last series of contests in the primary season you will see the incumbent Republican being replaced by a new form of candidate. This new form of candidate is out to change the complexion of Washington and the complexion of a Government that is spending our prosperity and taking away our liberties and freedom through political initiatives.

When you view history and what occurred in our revolution 235 years ago you will see that there was a revolt. There was a revolt of thought there was a revolt in action and there was a revolt to insure our prosperity of our posterity. It took men and women who were not afraid to put themselves out there through words, thought and finally action.

The revolt we are witnessing today is the same revolt that culminated in our revolution. The revolt we see today is the same revolt that ordinary men and women recognized during the forming of the country. The word revolt became a way to express oneself 235 years ago. The word revolt is now being used in the public forum.

“The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it to be always kept alive. It will often be exercised when wrong but better so than not to be exercised at all. I like a little rebellion now and then. It is like a storm in the atmosphere.” – Thomas Jefferson (1743-1846), U.S. President, Letter to Abigail Adams, 22 February 1787

Jefferson knew what the word revolt meant, but he also knew the value of the expression behind the word. This is why our forefathers became comfortable with the word and its meaning. This is why we have a country today and this is why our posterity will have a country tomorrow.

All is not done, this is only the beginning. I said yesterday, this turn around or this revolt will last decades. It will outlast some of us, but this is why we revolt. The revolt today is centered on the question of big government or small government. The revolt today is centered on the question of looming deficits, because of an entitlement society. The revolt today is over immigration and healthcare. The revolt today is over personal responsibility versus government taking care of you from cradle to grave. These are all questions that have grown out of our revolution and revolt 235 years ago.

“ Single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of a day. But a series of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period, and pursued unalterably through every change of ministers, too plainly proves a deliberate systematic plan of reducing us to slavery.” – Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson knew what tyranny was and he knew that a soft tyranny would soon result after our revolution.

“The ground of liberty is to be gained by inches, and we must be contented to secure what we can get from time to time and eternally press forward for what is yet to get. It takes time to persuade men to do even what is for their own good.” – Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson knew that liberty would be the basis for future revolts. This is why he said we must gain it in inches from time to time.

“To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty, or profusion and servitude. I place economy among the first and most important of republican virtues, and public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared.” – President Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson and the other forefathers knew about prosperity and that our posterity would be threatened through perpetual debt. They knew that a future revolution would be fought on the economic ground with theses questions. Like our forefathers, we do not profess an armed conflict, but rather a battle of intellectual reason and intellectual thought over progressive liberal ideals versus conservative values. When we consider what side of the fence to be on, remember our forefathers were conservatives before the question of progressive liberal politics became the threat!

Today is Constitution Day. Celebrate the word revolt because this word created the freedoms we enjoy today. The word revolt is important to our democracy.

Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives

A footnote: We have 47 days to embrace the word revolt. Become comfortable with the word because the outcome was worth it.