FINALLY - someone has had the nerve to say what needs to be said about “America’s slide into socialism.”  Senator Jim Demint of South Carolina hit a home run with his new book, SAVING FREEDOM.  Every American should read this book and somebody needs to shout it from the rooftops.  

This is not a broadside on Democrats and Liberals.  Senator Demint is an equal-opportunity critic.  The drift toward socialism is the responsibility of Republicans as well as Democrats, Demint says, and he backs his thesis up with abundant evidence.  While Republicans have talked about limited government, they have voted for expanded government.  While conservatives have extolled the constitution, most elected officials have been more interested in satisfying their own constituencies and special interest groups and winning reelection than they have upholding and defending the constitution.

"Why don’t Americans just stand up and demand a return to the principles of freedom?  I’m afraid that’s like asking a drug addict just to quit using drugs.  Americans are heavily dependent on government, and many do not believe freedom can be trusted to take care of them.  Political candidates sound much more enticing when they promise more security and government benefits than when they speak of personal responsibility and cutting government spending” (p. 44).

Americans are addicted to big government; now we want even more.  We expect the government to take care of us from the cradle to the grave.  Social security, Medicaid, Medicare, and now government health insurance - are all part of the Socialist vision for America.  Our Founders dreamed of equal opportunity; the Socialist dreams of equal outcomes.  Soon government will control hospital care and doctors and prescription medications; government already controls education.  What will be left of freedom when we have traded our liberty for the government’s promise to take care of us?

Our Baptist forefathers supported the American Revolution because they understood that religious liberty and political liberty went hand-in-glove.  They were right.  Our generation is witnessing the greatest expansion of government power in our nation’s history, and we are also on the verge of witnessing the greatest loss of religious liberty.  Just around the corner, if the present trend continues, will be the loss of our freedom to publicly articulate our views about family, marriage, abortion, homosexuality, and personal faith.  Just around the corner is a government health insurance program that will use our tax dollars to fund abortion and other sinful practices.  Just around the corner, if the hate crimes legislation passes, is the prohibition against using the public airwaves (TV and radio) to speak against homosexuality and other deviant sexual behaviors.

Will someone please tell our Senators and Congressmen that they are sworn to uphold the Constitution?  Will someone please have everyone in Congress read the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution?  Will someone tell the Supreme Court that we don’t want justices with sympathy and empathy; we want justices that understand the Constitution and uphold its declarations.  We don’t need justices whose missions are to correct racial or sexual or economic injustices by ignoring the Constitution.  We are a government of laws, not of men, as one of the Founders expressed it.

Thank you Senator Demint.  May God grant to America more men and women who care about our Constitution and who use their elected positions for the common good.  

Wake up, America!  In the slide toward Socialism, there is a point of no return.  I pray we have not yet reached that critical point.  If we haven’t, we are not far from it.

Pastor Alan Day