I spoke to a friend of mine the other day. One of his weekend projects was to remove Christmas lights from his house. I pointed out that next Christmas is just a few months away from the last one. And after dishing out additional ridicule, I started thinking about other Christmas traditions.
In our family, we’ve been blessed to celebrate Christ’s birth on Christmas Eve and then reserve Christmas Day for lay-back time. After opening a few presents on Christmas Eve, the kids dash off to bed while the exhausted adults kick it into high gear and start working.
This is where the phrase “some assembly required” became the three most despised words in the English language, especially at 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. in the morning.
As an adult, I followed my father’s lead in thinking that instructions were just extra packing material. I’d open the first box, dump everything onto the floor, and get to work. I’d study the picture on the box from every angle until I knew how the finished product was supposed to look.
Take tab A and insert it into slot B. These nuts and bolts connect these parts. Eventually, the pile of parts would begin to resemble the picture on the box. Viola! Toy number one is assembled.
Wait a minute. Uhh, what are these extra parts lying on the floor? Am I supposed to use these extras in case I lose a screw or a bolt? What’s this? This thingy here looks like it might be important, but I don’t see it in the picture. Hmmmmm.
Suddenly, I’d hear that familiar voice saying, “Did you read the instructions?”
What a terrible thing to ask! I don’t need instructions. There are bright, colorful pictures right here on the box. Is it possible the instruction packet isn’t intended to be packing material after all?
In comparison to this scenario, isn’t this how our government functions today? It sort of looks the way it’s supposed to, but dysfunction and extra parts are everywhere. Certainly, there are parts that are not in their correct place.
So as concerned citizens, what can we do about this? Well for starters, we can read the instructions.
As self-governing citizens, it’s our responsibility to understand how our government is supposed to look and work. Understanding why the House of Representatives is where spending bills are to originate is important. Knowing why there are more constitutional provisions to impeach judges than any other official is invaluable.
Knowing why the Chief Executive is selected by the Electoral College is fundamental to understanding American federalism and the equal representation of states. If we don't understand these things, why should we expect the final product to look like the picture on the box?
Take time to continue your journey to become a self-governing citizen activist and Convention of States supporter. Take time to learn about the U.S.Constitution, the separation of government powers, and how holding a Convention of States can help restore and preserve your civil rights.
The Convention of States Resource Center houses numerous learning tools, from free online courses to scholarly articles to white papers to government document links. Log in and start learning. I guarantee it will be time well spent.
In liberty,
Brett
