The Day After 9/11

09/12/10

It is important to remember 9/11/01 as the day America woke up to the reality that the world is filled with really nasty and wicked people who want to harm us because we have what they don't have... freedom. The Day After (9/12/01) is even more important because after the tragedy and the shock and the horror came the resolve never to forget, never to let our guard down, and never let it happen again.

On 9/12/09, Fox News commentator Glenn Beck held the first 9.12 rally in Washington, DC, that was to "bring us all back to the place we were on September 12, 2001. The day after America was attacked we were not obsessed with Red States, Blue States, or political parties. We were united as Americans." Beck then turned the movement over to others to run, principally consisting of members of the Tea Parties that have spontaneously sprung up all over America.

Before he turned over the 9.12 "Movement" to others, Glenn Beck formulated this set of 9 Principles and 12 Values.

The 9 Principles

1. America Is Good.

2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.
God “The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.” from George Washington’s first Inaugural address.

3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
Honesty “I hope that I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider to be the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.” George Washington

4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
Marriage/Family “It is in the love of one’s family only that heartfelt happiness is known. By a law of our nature, we cannot be happy without the endearing connections of a family.” Thomas Jefferson

5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
Justice “I deem one of the essential principles of our government… equal and exact justice to all men of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political.” Thomas Jefferson

6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.
Life, Liberty, & The Pursuit of Happiness “Everyone has a natural right to choose that vocation in life which he thinks most likely to give him comfortable subsistence.” Thomas Jefferson

7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with whom I want. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
Charity “It is not everyone who asketh that deserveth charity; all however, are worthy of the inquiry or the deserving may suffer.” George Washington

8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
On your right to disagree “In a free and republican government, you cannot restrain the voice of the multitude; every man will speak as he thinks, or more properly without thinking.” George Washington

9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.
“I consider the people who constitute a society or a nation as the source of all authority in that nation.” Thomas Jefferson

The 12 Values
* Honesty
* Reverence
* Hope
* Thrift
* Humility
* Charity
* Sincerity
* Moderation
* Hard Work
* Courage
* Personal Responsibility
* Gratitude

As a non-theist, I have alternatives for principles 2 and 4. Since I do not believe in a god and such a belief can clearly not be the center of my life, for principle number 2, I substitute: I believe in myself and in my ability to cause change. One person can make a difference and every person should. John Fitzgerald Kennedy

As for principle number 4, I simply substitute "important" for the word "sacred."

It may seem odd to others that I have no problem with "Reverence" as a value. It is not an exclusively religious word, but simply means "respect and honor."

Finally, when it comes to "Charity" I have a few rules of my own. Money is the root of all evil. Therefore, charity cannot consist of giving money to solve a problem. "Charities" that have organized to raise money for various good causes are always and inevitably corrupted by the money they collect. Therefore, the word "Charity" must always be singular. It is the good work you do for another. If you choose to take someone to dinner, charity is not the money you spend on the meal, but the act of sharing a meal with another human being. If you give money to others to do your good work for you, you corrupt those others with the money you have given them and give up your responsibility to do your own good works.

For those who argue that sometimes money is the only answer, I respond: "Teach the person who requires only money as the solution to his or her problem how to earn that money in an honest and dignified way, and warn them that 'Money is the root of all evil' lest they become corrupted by it."

For those who wonder how I can be a "capitalist" with such ideas, I respond: "Capitalism is a social system based on the recognition of individual rights, including property rights. Under capitalism the state is separated from economics (production and trade), just as the state is (or ought to be) separated from religion. Capitalism is the system of political freedom. Economics may include money, but is not dependent on it. It is possible to run a government without taxes, but not by the lazy or uncharitable."

The 9.12 Project Web Site

FreedomWorks

9/11 and The Gadsden Flag

The East Orange Tea Party

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