WesW Blog

Another Easter has come and gone and another Four-Nineteen is near. More seems to be said about Four Twenty than the day that proceeds it.  If the new generation could just put down their bong for a moment and pick up a real history book they might notice 4/19.

On April 19th 1529, the 2nd Diet of Speyer used the word Protestant. The Catholic Church decreed that there be no toleration of Lutherans, Zwinglians, or Anabaptists. A group of German Princes filed a protest and were called “Protestants”. This was an acknowledgement of the reformation movement

 On April 19th 1775, a revolution began, the American Revolution. The battles of Lexington and Concord occurred as American patriots sought their freedom from the tyranny of the British Crown.

 On April 19th 1943, resistance to the German Nazis occurred in Warsaw Poland. This incident is known as the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Shortly after the German occupation of Poland began, the Nazis forced Jewish citizens into a “ghetto” surrounded by barbwire and armed S.S. guards. Thousands of Jews were transferred from there each day to the Treblinka concentration camp for extermination, although the Nazis were assuring everyone that they were being sent to work camps. When the truth reached the ghetto, an underground resistance group was established called the Jewish Combat Organization (ZOB). On April 19 Nazi leader Heinrich Himmler announced the ghetto was to be emptied of its remaining 60,000 residents in honor of Hitlers birthday the following day. More than 1,000 S.S. soldiers entered the ghetto with tanks and heavy artilery. 1,000 ZOB members met the Germans with gunfire and homemade bombs. The Germans initially withdrew after suffering moderate casualties but returned again on the 24th for an all out siege that lasted until May 16th.

On April 19th 1993, the refusal of a religious group near Waco Texas to surrender before the ATF and FBI became the target of a tear gas assault by the FBI. It was a tragic end to a tense 51 day standoff between the federal government and an armed religious cult known as the Branch Davidians. By the end of the day, some 80 followers of David Koresh the cult leader including 22 children were dead. On April 18, U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno approved a tear-gas assault on the cult’s compound, and at approximately 6:00 a.m. on April 19 the Branch Davidians were informed of the imminent attack and asked to surrender, which they refused to do. A few minutes later, two FBI combat vehicles began inserting gas into the building and were joined by Bradley tanks, which fired tear-gas canisters through the compound’s windows. The Branch Davidians, many with gas masks on, refused to evacuate, and by 11:40 a.m. the last of some 100 tear-gas canisters was fired into the compound. Just after noon, a fire erupted at one or more locations on the compound, and minutes later nine Davidians fled the rapidly spreading blaze. Gunfire was reported but ceased as the compound was completely engulfed by the flames. The FBI and the Justice Department maintained there was conclusive evidence that the Branch Davidian members ignited the fire, citing an eyewitness account and various forensic data. Of the gunfire reported during the fire, the government argued that the Davidians were either killing each other as part of a suicide pact or were killing dissenters who attempted to escape the Koresh-ordered suicide by fire. Most of the surviving Branch Davidians contested this official position, as do some critics in the press and elsewhere, whose charges against the ATF and FBI’s handling of the Waco standoff ranged from incompetence to premeditated murder. In 1999, the FBI admitted they used tear-gas grenades in the assault, which have been known to cause fires because of their incendiary properties.

On April 19th 1995, a person named Timothy McVeigh sought revenge on the U.S. government by exploding a truck bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City. This building was the home office of some of the ATF and FBI agents involved in the Waco incident and an incident three years earlier known as Ruby Ridge that was at least as controversial as the Waco incident.

All these incidents were a reaction to a tyranny or what was perceived as a tyranny. Some were justified reactions, some were not, but all were reactions. The rebels were trying to defend their rights. Not just theirs, but the rights of everyone. If the least of us lose our rights, it is only a matter of time until others lose their rights. For once a government acts capriciously denying the rights of one, it will soon deny the rights of others. It changes from rule by law, to rule by men. Rule by capricious men is a tyranny plain and simple. Capricious men craving power will demagogue any and all issues and play factions against factions to grasp and then to maintain their power. The Left prefer today’s young adults stay stoned and stupid than informed and involved. In case they do get involve they want them on their side. They will flirt with legalizing drugs, they will demonize the law and order crowd. They will try to sell them on peace and harmony, with the details of the tyranny to be discovered too late.

As we prepare to celebrate the anniversary of the fall of Bin Laden, National Day of Prayer, Cinco de Mayo and Mothers Day, our country is in great danger and is on the brink of great calamity. Leftists forces and sympathizers along with complacent lukewarm Republicans are driving the nation over a proverbial cliff. I know the law and order Republicans alienate the 4-20. The battle of the 4-20 is in the battle of ideas. The law and order crowd wants freedom but they also want safety. The 4-20 challenge is to convince them that cannibus is not a gateway drug and is safer than tobacco products. If this is true (which I doubt), and the 4-20s can prove it; then the 4-20 have a chance. My point is that the political right needs the 4-20 and vice versa. The Left is the enemy of both the 4-20 and the law and order Republicans. It is better to do without pot than to have tyranny. Likewise it is better for a few more opportunities for vices than to have no freedom at all.
There are people much more articulate in listing all the attacks on America’s freedom than I. A few that come to mind are:
· Obamacare which gives the government control over your health.
· Seizing of General Motors & Chrysler and giving unsecured creditors priority over secured creditors and shareholders in bankruptcy litigation. A violation of basic fundamental freedoms of free enterprise. Allowing unions to continue their money accumulation activities for the Democratic Party from dues of their rank and file.
· Consideration of taxes on our movement (miles driven) probably in addition to fuel taxes.
When government controls our health, fiats winners and losers in business, and controls our movements; how can we call ourselves free men?

Thomas Jefferson wrote “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. … “ I choose to use words as my sword. My generation has made many mistakes and so have previous generations. We got some things right but perhaps not enough. It is time for the next generation to begin their time in the spotlight. Unfortunately it may not be as free men.  You have more serious things to be concerned with than 4-20. Nations rise and fall. If America is to prevent a fall, it is time for all liberty seekers to come to her aid. How one decides to render aid must be determined with prayerful consideration. This is not a call to arms but a call to action.

My prayer is that the readers stay free. If not, physically, more importantly spiritually. Easter Sunday falls on on April 19th more often than any other date. Freedom in Christ. (Only in him will it be April 19th for infinity as we rejoice.)