Will Part of Your Holiday Prep Be to Read our Founding Documents?

Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia - 1787

I'm starting to set up for our 4th of July celebration. We're having three families over to swim and cook out and look forward to the happy laughter of all the children. We'll probably all go over to the fairgrounds later for the wonderful fireworks display that rivals any we've ever seen except for Reagan's inauguration. 

Thought for the Day from John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams, our sixth president and son of the second, was an amazing individual. As a young teenager (14) he participated as secretary to a delegation to Russia to seek recognition of the newly-formed United States. He was fluent in several languages and was a Greek scholar. His grasp of foreign affairs was extensive (unlike our current clueless administration). He left behind a 50-volume diary that provides one of the most comprehensive pictures of the period, one that historians often cite. He passionately defended American interests and was certainly no empire builder. He noted positively that the U.S. "has abstained from interference in the concerns of others, even when conflict has been for principles to which she clings." Certainly, he did not see our country as policeman to the world. Instead, he noted:

Wherever the standard of freedom and Independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be. But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own.....She well knows that by once enlisting under other banners than her own, were they even the banners of foreign independence, she would involve herself beyond the power of extrication, in all the wars of interest and intrigue, of individual avarice, envy, and ambition, which assume the colors and usurp the standard of freedom.

Ah...for the wisdom of a John Quincy Adams today. We would not be bogged down int he Middle East swamp and we would have far fewer of our men and women serving all over the globe in harms way. I wonder how different our country would be if her people would study the past, particularly the wisdom of so many of our founders. Reading a biography of John Quincy Adams would be a good place to start.

News Flash: Bill Bolling Drops out of Race for Virginia Governor

Bill Bolling pulled out of Virginia's GOP race for governor today leaving Ken Cuccinelli as Virginia's favorite son and likely nominee. The party will choose its candidate at a convention next May 18th to be held in Richmond, VA. Now is the time for all freedom loving, small government conservatives to get behind Ken and give him a boost as he heads against like Democrat opponent Terry McAuliffe. The contrast between these too couldn't be greater. Please sign up to be a delegate and while you're at it how about making a donation to Ken's campaign chest. Read more at Richard Viguerie's website. 

Let us commit to turning Virginia back into a red state where voters resemble Virginia's founders like Patrick Henry and George Mason. Both Patrick Henry and George Mason opposed the Constitution because they believed it gave too much power to the federal government. They led the fight against the federalists and were primary authors of the anti-federalist papers. (Did you ever hear of those? If not, that just illustrates once more that history is written by the winners.) In retrospect, they were prophets. It was these two statesmen who demanded that the federalists include a Bill of Rights in the Constitution. They had no illusions about the nature of man and they firmly believed in the natural rights of the individual against the state. Read more about these two great men here. And if you're a Virginian, join me and many others in Richmond on may 18th. Remember Patrick Henry's address to the Virginia Convention which caused his fellow delegates to cry, "To arms! To arms!":

The battle, sir [Convention President Peyton Randolph], is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest.