An apology to Johann Michael
Dear Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather Johann Micheal,
It is with tremendous sorrow I inform you the long and arduous journey you made to secure liberty, freedom and a prosperous future for yourself and your heirs was, after nine generations in the New World, destroyed today.
When you father's father's father, Primus, traveled from Ljubljana, Slovenia to Bergenweiler Germany in 1649 to escape the horrors after the 30 years war, in hopes of making a new life, he too had the hope that his heirs would enjoy liberty and not tyranny. But Germany itself proved to provide only an alternate tyranny to that of Slovenia.
I imagine your father, Andreas, had similar hopes for you when you left Bergenweiler and travelled across Europe to Rotterdam to make passage on the Caledonia to the New World.
When you landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1752 and accepted 100 acres of land from His Majesty King George III, it must have been a transformative moment in our families' history, for we were not wealthy immigrants, but poor peasants from the German lowlands, seeking one thing: To escape the tyranny of Europe.
When you left Bergenweiler, Frederick the Great was fulfilling his dream of conquering and expanding his kingdom. Our family was under foot of European tyrants, local lords and centuries of poverty.
When you landed in the New World, the Bounty Lands of South Carolina King George offered you were dangerous, unsettled wilderness. Nonetheless, you risked everything, including your own life and took on the challenge. You carved a life from the wilderness.
You must have been very proud when your firstborn American son, Adam, joined the Continental Army in 1776 and joined the fight against European tyranny and injustice. Many of your progeny went on to fight for freedom, liberty and what we would call: The American Way of Life. Many of us, your descendants, believed in liberty, the promise of America and the hope of a Republic. We were vigilant. We alerted ourselves to injustices and fought to remain free - to be free from the tyranny that you escaped in Europe. You believed in the hope of a new nation, where free men lived not with the yoke of oppression, but a light load. Small government, individual liberty - these were the gifts you gave your descendants.
And yet despite our vigilance, despite our faith and our hope, I regret, today, our liberty died.
The tyranny of European style government has descended upon. Politicians, voted into office by those who understand they can raid the public treasury, have perverted what you risked your life for. Today, the government can force me to enter into a contract against my will. It can, despite rulings from the highest court, impose taxes as a fine. It can force me to support and sustain another man's home, family and lifestyle.
I know this must all sound bewildering to you, Grandfather Johann. I'm sure you cannot understand why this nation would seek to emulate European style government, given it's centuries of failure, it's record of tyranny.
I can offer no excuse, Grandfather Johann. We have become a nation of weakness. What would have once boiled the blood of men now causes not even a hint of excitement. We have become sheep.
We aren't worthy of the America you built.
The thought the government could fine you, throw you in jail, take your possessions simply because you exercised your own free will and didn't buy mandated health insurance...is simply incredible. The idea that the government could use taxes as a fine...well, I'm sure you remember the German Lords and how they used this tactic.
I am Ninth generation American. Liberty died on my watch. And I have failed you, Grandfather Johann. My brothers and I, we have all failed you. Liberty has died.
I am so sorry.
posted by J'adoube @ 6:50 PM
6 Comments:
As an European, I have not the slighest idea what you are talking about. I suspect I'm not the only one.
To me it is the same irrationality as the Belgians with their strange language problem, the Turkish who deny their grandparents committed genocide and Chinese who think that Taiwan is still a part of China.
Can you please elaborate on your emotions to prevent me from wishing you a 'welcome into the civilised world'?
Our federal government is forcing us to buy health insurance. This is a violation of the U.S. Constitution. An overwhelming majority of Americans did not want this health care bill. We wanted reform but not at the cost of our individual liberties.
Aha, it is about individual liberties. That isn't very well developed in my country since exercising your individual liberty isn't working very well when the water seeps through your levees. But the US is different. How do you measure the fine line where individual liberty ends and personal egoism begins?
It's not about egoism. The United States is the most generous nation in the world. We love to help people. As a percent of GDP, we are Number One in giving to charity, giving more than twice as much as second place U.K. In fact, we give three times as much as your own country. We continue to defend the Free World, spending 10 times as much as any European nation defending freedom (which, by the way, frees up your country and others to use the money you would have used for defending against Russian, et al, and provide great social programs like...socialized medicine. You're Welcome :)
We do all this by our choice. Of our own free will.
What we hate is for the government and all the do-gooder jackasses who tell us we have to spend our money on social programs we don't approve of - in this country the opposition against the bill just passed was overwhelming. The government is passing laws clearly against the will of the people.
Finally, this is not what my ancestor Johann Micheal Bidenbach came to America for. He came here for freedom from oppressive European tyranny. My family suffered greatly under European rule - and I sure as Hell do not want a European style of government here - it's not American. It's not what my first born relative fought for - it's not what my great-great uncle died for in France during WWI.
And it's sure as Hell not what I want to leave to my grandchildren.
Sorry, I didn't want to upset you, of course. But I did want to understand the emotions of my American friends a bit better. These matters about free will and responsibility don't trigger much emotions overhere, probably due to different education and so, so it is hard to understand, you see.
There seems to be a tipping point here. You can't feel responsibility if the government has taken away your means to take care of them. Hence the government has to take over the responsibility. But when you are grown up with it you want notice it. What remains to see what is in your blind spot is asking questions. Which is what I do.
Well, old friend, you are not the cause of my passion nor my upset. Right now over 60% of Americans want the conservatives here to continue to attempt to repeal this law and we are furious over the passage...
Post a Comment
<< Home