http://www.sierratimes.com/gedcc062200.htm
A Cautionary Tale
Henry Bowman - Posted: 06.22.00
There are many lessons that History teaches, but much of the time those most in need of
learning
them seem incapable of doing so. The story of the Gordian Knot is a good example.
Briefly, a
legend grew up in ancient times that whoever could untie the Gordian Knot would become
the
ruler of all Asia. The problem was that the knot was extremely complex, and the ends of
the rope
were hidden within the bulk of the knot.
According to the legend, when Alexander the Great was unable to untie the Gordian Knot,
he drew
his sword and cut it through with a stroke. The expression "to cut the Gordian Knot" has
ever since
come to refer to a situation in which a difficult problem is solved by a quick and decisive
action.
What also needs pointing out, however, is that the means employed fell outside the "rules
of the
game".
How does this relate to the present situation in America today? And why does this
example fit
within the scope of an article entitled A Cautionary Tale? Here begins the lesson.
Over the last hundred years or so the socialist movement in this country (and elsewhere)
has
slowly created a political, legal and cultural environment which amounts to the equivalent
of one
team in a football game being allowed to rewrite the rules as the game progresses. Under
such
circumstances, there would be little doubt as to the final outcome. That there is a master
plan
behind the changes that have been forced upon the American people is not really
relevant here.
What is relevant, however, is that the Socialists are winning for one simple reason; they
have sold
us on the belief that we can only compete within the rules of the game. However, it is
this
assumption on their part which contains the seed of their ultimate downfall.
For most of us, going into court without representation would be a mistake. Without
training in
the nuances of the Law, and the art of oral argument, we could not expect to prevail
against a
member of the Bar. Yet if we knew that we were in the right, and that any reasonable
man with a
sense of justice would find in our favor, we might be tempted to try. Of such beliefs are
born the
outrageous miscarriages of justice that we see all about us every day in the mass media.
Invariably, the cleaver argument has won out over common sense and simple justice. We
learn
too late (and always the hard way) that Cicero was right; the more laws, the less
justice.
The mistake being made by the politicians and other usurpers of our rights is that they
believe
that we can be relied on to continue to play the game by their rules. This is because
those of us
who identify with Conservatism, The Right, the Patriot Movement, Libertarianism or what
have
you are overwhelmingly law-abiding, and have a well developed sense of what's right and
what's
wrong. We have difficulty in finding the logic in the statement, "in order to liberate the
village we
had to destroy it." Those who oppose us have no such problem. In fact, the argument
could be
made that their real intent was to destroy the village, whatever their stated motives.
We can find hope for the future by looking to the past, however. When the Barbary Coast
of San
Francisco in the 1890's became corrupt beyond the tolerance level of enough of the good
citizens,
the Citizen's Vigilance Committee came into being and dealt with the situations that the
Law was
ignoring. Our politicians and other oppressors have forgotten this fact, and it seems
unlikely that
they will remember it any time soon.
The Bible speaks of sailors reading the coming weather by the color of the sky, and then
goes on to
ask "how is it that you can read the signs in the sky, but you cannot read the signs of
the times?"
The emergence of the Patriot Movement is a sign of the times. The publication of writers
like
Claire Wolfe is a sign of the times. The growing sales and distribution of books like John
Ross'
Unintended Consequences is a sign of the times.
In keeping with the spirit of this last work, a loose-knit organization is proposed,- with a
mission
statement as follows:
"The Henry Bowman Brigade consists of a small group of people nationwide that has
collectively
reached its outrage tolerance limit with regard to the state of affairs in our country, the
corruption of our government, and the degradation of our citizenry.
"We have come together to say 'no more; this far and no further' to those who would
destroy our
great nation and the values which gave it birth. We have come together to pledge
ourselves and
all that we have to reversing the many destructive trends evident today in our schools,
public
institutions, governmental divisions and the fabric of social intercourse in our society.
"We have come together to say that we will pay any price, including the highest price, to
make our
country again into what it used to be, because we would rather die on our feet than live
on our
knees, perish rather than live as slaves.
"Finally, we have come together to warn those who would hold cheap our values, our
estates and
our lives . They will be judged by their own standard, and measured with their own
yardstick . We
will repay eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, and life for life."
Anyone may claim membership in this organization who agrees with the mission
statement. There
are no dues or meetings, other than a "meeting of the minds". Our banner is the Gadsden
flag: Don't
Tread On Me!
The rattler's tail is moving, but the tyrants aren't listening. The ultimate peril is theirs, not
the
snake's. Here endeth the lesson.
Henry Bowman
A Cautionary Tale
Henry Bowman - Posted: 06.22.00
There are many lessons that History teaches, but much of the time those most in need of
learning
them seem incapable of doing so. The story of the Gordian Knot is a good example.
Briefly, a
legend grew up in ancient times that whoever could untie the Gordian Knot would become
the
ruler of all Asia. The problem was that the knot was extremely complex, and the ends of
the rope
were hidden within the bulk of the knot.
According to the legend, when Alexander the Great was unable to untie the Gordian Knot,
he drew
his sword and cut it through with a stroke. The expression "to cut the Gordian Knot" has
ever since
come to refer to a situation in which a difficult problem is solved by a quick and decisive
action.
What also needs pointing out, however, is that the means employed fell outside the "rules
of the
game".
How does this relate to the present situation in America today? And why does this
example fit
within the scope of an article entitled A Cautionary Tale? Here begins the lesson.
Over the last hundred years or so the socialist movement in this country (and elsewhere)
has
slowly created a political, legal and cultural environment which amounts to the equivalent
of one
team in a football game being allowed to rewrite the rules as the game progresses. Under
such
circumstances, there would be little doubt as to the final outcome. That there is a master
plan
behind the changes that have been forced upon the American people is not really
relevant here.
What is relevant, however, is that the Socialists are winning for one simple reason; they
have sold
us on the belief that we can only compete within the rules of the game. However, it is
this
assumption on their part which contains the seed of their ultimate downfall.
For most of us, going into court without representation would be a mistake. Without
training in
the nuances of the Law, and the art of oral argument, we could not expect to prevail
against a
member of the Bar. Yet if we knew that we were in the right, and that any reasonable
man with a
sense of justice would find in our favor, we might be tempted to try. Of such beliefs are
born the
outrageous miscarriages of justice that we see all about us every day in the mass media.
Invariably, the cleaver argument has won out over common sense and simple justice. We
learn
too late (and always the hard way) that Cicero was right; the more laws, the less
justice.
The mistake being made by the politicians and other usurpers of our rights is that they
believe
that we can be relied on to continue to play the game by their rules. This is because
those of us
who identify with Conservatism, The Right, the Patriot Movement, Libertarianism or what
have
you are overwhelmingly law-abiding, and have a well developed sense of what's right and
what's
wrong. We have difficulty in finding the logic in the statement, "in order to liberate the
village we
had to destroy it." Those who oppose us have no such problem. In fact, the argument
could be
made that their real intent was to destroy the village, whatever their stated motives.
We can find hope for the future by looking to the past, however. When the Barbary Coast
of San
Francisco in the 1890's became corrupt beyond the tolerance level of enough of the good
citizens,
the Citizen's Vigilance Committee came into being and dealt with the situations that the
Law was
ignoring. Our politicians and other oppressors have forgotten this fact, and it seems
unlikely that
they will remember it any time soon.
The Bible speaks of sailors reading the coming weather by the color of the sky, and then
goes on to
ask "how is it that you can read the signs in the sky, but you cannot read the signs of
the times?"
The emergence of the Patriot Movement is a sign of the times. The publication of writers
like
Claire Wolfe is a sign of the times. The growing sales and distribution of books like John
Ross'
Unintended Consequences is a sign of the times.
In keeping with the spirit of this last work, a loose-knit organization is proposed,- with a
mission
statement as follows:
"The Henry Bowman Brigade consists of a small group of people nationwide that has
collectively
reached its outrage tolerance limit with regard to the state of affairs in our country, the
corruption of our government, and the degradation of our citizenry.
"We have come together to say 'no more; this far and no further' to those who would
destroy our
great nation and the values which gave it birth. We have come together to pledge
ourselves and
all that we have to reversing the many destructive trends evident today in our schools,
public
institutions, governmental divisions and the fabric of social intercourse in our society.
"We have come together to say that we will pay any price, including the highest price, to
make our
country again into what it used to be, because we would rather die on our feet than live
on our
knees, perish rather than live as slaves.
"Finally, we have come together to warn those who would hold cheap our values, our
estates and
our lives . They will be judged by their own standard, and measured with their own
yardstick . We
will repay eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, and life for life."
Anyone may claim membership in this organization who agrees with the mission
statement. There
are no dues or meetings, other than a "meeting of the minds". Our banner is the Gadsden
flag: Don't
Tread On Me!
The rattler's tail is moving, but the tyrants aren't listening. The ultimate peril is theirs, not
the
snake's. Here endeth the lesson.
Henry Bowman
