Does our Declaration of Independence require the citizens of these United States to do what they know is right in the face of tyranny? How do we define tyranny? The standard definition is this: tyranny is the arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of authority. Does that sound familiar? It should. We've just gone through a stimulus bill that was rejected by all our elected Republican officials, excluding three (I have a strong feeling they will not be elected officials after the end of this term). But, it passed. Taxes will be raised, our money will be spent on projects that we, the people, did not approve of. This new administration promised transparency of government. There has been none of that. Why? Because people in this country, conservative people who honor and respect the documents that are the backbone of our country, would not stand for what the present administration is doing.

We live in a country founded on the principal that taxation without representation is wrong. But, here we are, suffering under unfair and undue regulations and restrictions. We have the government taking over and taking away the rights of American citizens only because it can. That is the definition of tyranny!

During all of the discussions over the stimulus package, the role of government, and expectations of what a government is capable of doing compared to what a government is bound to do and not do according to the documents that govern our country, the differences between conservatives and liberals becomes clear. In fact, today's political environment makes these differences more obvious than I remember them ever being in my lifetime.

Liberals, for the most part, seem to think that the government, made up of elected officials, is better equipped at providing for us, as a country, than we are at providing for ourselves. That we cannot make decisions wise enough to better ourselves without them, and that their role is to protect us from ourselves.

How ridiculous. Are some people going to make poor decisions? Of course. That is part of inherent in the nature of human beings. Will some people fail? Yes. Will some people be poor, without a retirement plan, without adequate health care? Yes. Will some people do without? Yes. Some people are short-sighted. Some people are poor planners. Some people are irresponsible. Some people have misfortunes. We all, every one of us, encounters hardships and difficult times. That is not impacted by whether or not you are a responsible planner or not. But, if you are responsible, you are able to deal with the hardships and difficulties without them becoming insurmountable. One of the main cures for being broke, no secret here, is work. Hard work, sacrificing, and delaying gratification, those are all keys to being able to provide for yourself.

As a conservative, I believe that when the government starts taking over the role of protecting us from ourselves, they get into the business of stifilng us as well. I want my government to do what it was designed to do, and that is to protect my rights and freedoms as declared in the Constitution of the United States, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights. I do not want my government, the one that I vote for to represent me and my family, to get into the business of protecting me from myself. I don't want or need that kind of protection. Will I make mistakes? Yes. But, having room to fail also means having room to succeed. I want the responsibility to take care of myself, to make decisions as to how I want my tax dollars to be spent, what kind of healthcare I want, or if I want healthcare at all. I don't want my government to charge my children and their children with the burden of paying for our screw ups. I want the government to keep my rights safe, keep my freedoms in tact, and allow me the freedom to fail or succeed as determined by my hard work and determination.

My government isn't my babysitter. My government should be the guardian of the rights and freedoms guaranteed to me by the documents created and ratified by the founders of my country.