Freedom is hard

For me one of the highlights of the Olympic Games is the opening ceremony. Not for the spectacle, the parade of nations, the singing and dancing or even the lighting of the torch.  I like to see the US team enter and steadfastly refuse to dip the flag to the potentate, king, or leader of the host country. You see, that single act of defiance is the root of my America.

One of the keys to understanding American freedom is there is no ruling class. There is no royalty. Every single American is afforded the same opportunity. There are no class barriers. There is no upper class. Every time I hear a politician invoking the "middle class" I cringe. Do you know why they always address the middle class?  Because your average politician knows we all think of our selves as equal. No one wants to proclaim themselves as "low class". We cannot define a middle class because we all are part of it. That is the genius that is America.

We can all make our own Horatio Alger success story. Is it easy? No. Is success in life guaranteed? Certainly not.  Is it most likely we will fail?  Yep. But that in no way means success is not possible. We are all just men and women created equal.

I have often stated it is a good thing I am not Catholic.  I would never, under any circumstances, kiss the Pope's ring. It is a good thing I never happened upon the Queen during one of my visits to England in years past. I would never bow before her. I will take a knee for no man. You see, no matter the titles, the royalty, the wealth, or the power, no person is better than I am. No One. That is why I have no interest in what prince is getting married and what princess is knocked up. I don't care any more than I would if a distant neighbor suddenly announced a baby was growing in her belly. That is nice.  Good for you. Why should anyone outside if their immediate family have any interest at all?

When  reporters claim that Obama's kids are more important than mine,  I call bullshit. You see, President Obama is no more important than I am. He is man, elected to a job. He may think of himself as royalty. Michelle may think it OK to jet the world at taxpayer's expense, but they are just ordinary Americans, no different than you and I. Their kids are not special. Oh, I am sure they are darling children. It is likely yours are too.

This is where we have come as a nation. There are people who think they are the new royalty, the ruling class. This, my friends, is the coming Civil War -- not soon, but it is coming. Believe it or not, the roots are the same as those which caused our break from Britain some 238 years ago.

We have developed a whole group of people who think they are a ruling class. There are a whole set of   people who think they are smarter than the ordinary citizen., These liberals believe you and I cannot succeed without their help. The average progressive is convinced you are too dumb to know what to eat, what health care you need, what you should drive, how warm you keep your house in the winter.

The liberals think they should tell you how much sugar you can eat, what kind of fat to use to fry your potatoes and regulate your salt intake. They will dictate what size soda to buy and regulate your ability to defend your home, your person, your property. Your typical progressive believes they know how much money you should have and how you should spend it. These self-designated elitists will tell you and I "You don't need..." fill in the blank. These busy bodies know it all and will tell you so.

Sadly, there is a large group of Americans who have fallen prey to this mindset. Life is easier when someone gives you food, a house, a cell phone. It is easy to listen when someone tells you the mistakes you made in life are not your fault, when actions have no consequences.  You should have to choose between baby formula or cigarettes. You should go without a cell phone if you need groceries. If you cannot afford a kid, don't have sex. It really is that simple.

Just because you were born in an inner city project housing complex does not mean you are consigned to that life.  You do not have to stay in that small town in western Nebraska. Get a job, get an education. Learn a skill. Opportunity is before you.  Take advantage. Yes, it is hard.

Life is hard.

Freedom is hard.

There are lots of people who can run faster, jump higher and are stronger than I am. There are folks with lots more money and power. There are better looking men. I meet smarter people every day. Not one of these folks is better than me. No person is more important. But we are all equal.