We’ll mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence less than two months from now. In the midst of all the (justifiable) hoopla, it sure would be nice if more Americans took time to know and truly understand that document.
It’s an expression of Founding Principles, not law — and that, in my opinion, makes it far more significant than any collection of statutes. At the heart of the Declaration is this:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed….”
Most of us can recite the first part of that passage, or at least the payoff phrase — “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” (Or, as the previous occupant of the Oval Office mumbled, “You know, the thing.”) We tend to ignore what follows, however, which is nothing less than government’s prime directive — “to secure these rights.”
The reason government exists at all is to guard the natural rights of the individual — period, full stop. Perhaps the reason we forget that is because our own government abandoned its purpose generations ago, in favor of appeasing, controlling and stealing from the People. Most Americans have never seen what it’s supposed to look like.
I mean, just imagine if those “rich men north of Richmond” started governing this country by the core principles of the Declaration of Independence.
Actually, my fellow Patriots, though we have a long way to go, there’s a glimmer of that imagined America right now. See here:
I didn’t invent those headlines. It’s not AI. All three of those stories appeared on Breitbart within the last 24 hours.
To be candid with you, I never thought I’d live to see this day.
The wheels of Justice in defense of Liberty turn slowly. There’s little that you and I can do to contribute to restoring America, other than voting only for candidates who stand with the Trump administration and are committed to governing “to secure these rights.”
But this is an encouraging start.
After knocking out a little housecleaning early today, I took advantage of a crisp, crystal-clear morning to do maintenance on my outdoor cooking setup. I didn’t use it at all last year, something that I intend to correct this summer.
Specifically and first of all, my decades-old Coleman propane stove needed attention. I cleaned it up, then fired it up.
It worked perfectly.
While letting those burners run awhile, I turned to my Lodge cast-iron grill/griddle. It does double duty (on the kitchen range as well as the camp stove) and its seasoning needed freshening up.
The grill side showed some rust in the corners, too, which I dispatched with a wire brush.
Next, I wiped down both sides with my favorite seasoning agent — grapeseed oil. It has a high smoke point and, other than cooking on the surface every day, it does a better job than anything else I’ve used.
Once I’d coated all of its nooks and crannies, I wiped off the excess oil, set it on the Coleman and waited for smoke.
I let that roll for about five minutes, then turned off the burners and allowed the cast iron to cool naturally. I repeated the drill twice more before declaring the grill/griddle ready for service.
It’s worth mentioning here that since I wasn’t starting with raw cast iron, I didn’t have to do a full-on seasoning ritual involving hours in a 500°F oven. This piece was already seasoned and had been used a bunch — I simply wanted to bring it back to a working standard.
Simple tasks like this bring me joy.
I’m sure you’ll see the Coleman-Lodge combo again here soon. Stay tuned.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable