Year One

 

2021 – The Great Reset or Great Awakening!

Ok, we all know 2020 was a bust, a mess, a disappointment, and an overall freaking disaster. We hear a lot about the ‘Great Reset.’ I’m not sure what that means, but theories abound. In this post, I want to focus on the reset, as the Great Awakening, which we can look forward to in 2021. The number ‘one’ in 21 is what I want to emphasize. I like to think of it as a measure of how we step into the rest of the year, as year one (1)—a new start from years past. 

A reset, if you will, to reestablish our standards and goals. A reset, if you will, to reestablish what and who we are as a Nation. A reset, if you will, of how we represent ourselves to the world. An awakening to recognize just how close we came to the edge of catastrophe. 

How we manage to get through 2021 will set an example. Rather you want to believe it or not, we are an example that the world wants to emulate. Nations worldwide want what we have, which is some of that ‘we the people.’ We can’t bottle it. We can’t sell it. We can only live it with our Constitution backing the desire we have to pursue happiness. ‘The pursuit of happiness’ means something. These are not mere words or an archaic phrase.

In the zeitgeist of the 1700s, farmers and amateur politicians knew what it meant to work hard and provide for their families. They knew what it meant to end a day of labor, knowing that they did their best to safeguard their loved ones, looking forward to a better tomorrow. To worship freely and to live prosperously. They also knew the cost of rising against a tyrannical king to forge a Nation all their own. They wanted to retain the way of life they created, without paying taxes sans representation, to the King of England. They reasoned that IF taxes had to be paid, they wanted to have a say in where the taxes were paid and used to benefit them. They wanted a government that represented their needs and wants.  They didn't want an Athenian Democracy that led without representing ‘we the people.’ They wanted a government based on the principle of the Magna Carta—a representative government that was formed by the people, for the people, and of the people. They wanted a Republic with a democratic government led by the people. Imagine the courage it took for these British subjects to consider doing something as this? The principle leaders knew the danger of treason, sedition, and separating themselves independently so that the people had a say, not the reigning elites of the day. They wanted to answer to no one other than God, not the King of a foreign land. We, the people, are who they were. Love or hate them, it was the start of something marvelous, awe-inspiring, and courageous.

Military leaders, philosophers, farmers, businessmen, and clergy, came together to forge a new Nation. To fund this fight and separate from British rule, they farmed the land with help from slaves and indentured servants and sold goods from their fields and businesses, fostering trade. With this growing economy and independent wealth, they formed militias, armies and stood together, volunteering their time; men, women, and children supported the call to liberty and freedom. A freedom that Britain did not want them (the Colonies) to have, but they persevered and won, giving rise to the Nation, we have today. The battle was hard-won; freedom did not come easy. It never does. We fight for it constantly as we do today.

It should go without saying, that this is no more evident than with the people of color in our Nation. The issue of slavery and servitude was a question that needed to be addressed, and it was, however late it came to the Colonies. The zeitgeist of the early 1700s to late 1789 involved a closely woven tapestry of economic perseverance, and unweaving this tapestry, which involved slavery, was a delicate balancing act. The Federalist papers (Essay's) speak of the arguments the founding fathers had with each other over the myriad issues of slavery, representation, and taxation. They knew slavery was wrong, but how to right the wrong would take longer than they had time to wrestle with, especially at the dawn of creating a new Nation. The money needed to raise and maintain an army took precedence, and slave labor was paramount to this effort. Although the practice of slavery was abolished in Britain decades before, sadly, it wasn’t abolished in the Colonies until 1808. Unfortunately, it persisted in the Southern colonies until President Lincoln abolished the practice by signing the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. Freedom is a never ending battle. See links below for further reading, discussion and reference.

The Federalist full text of arguments

Federalist Paper No. 54 re: Slaves and representation for taxation

'The Great Compromise' to end Slavery

Constitution Ratified

Men want to rule; however, they can't all be Chief. This is not lost on most of us, for we understand the inherent nature of greed. Rules and laws of the Constitution were put in place to primarily guide our behavior, not dictate our behavior. Some laws are cast in stone, such as those set down by our Lord God. As I heard someone say, ‘the Ten Commandments are not suggestions.’ Our Constitution is a living and breathing document. It can be amended at any time, and it must remain. It must remain as a standard we live by, it must remain as a statement of unalienable Rights given to us as human beings by God, it must remain as a reminder of how off the path we might stray if these laws are not abided by; it keeps us honest. It must remain as a reminder of the Rights ‘we the people’ have to pursue happiness for ourselves as outlined in our Declaration of Independence.    

Today, I believe we are facing a sea change in this country. A change that will call on our courage and beliefs in our convictions. A change that will call on us to look at ourselves and honestly admit who and what we are. We are not a perfect Nation; no Nation is. We have learned from our mistakes and corrected them where we should. We have a chance to right wrongs and stand together to preserve what we have fought to attain. Blood, sweat, and tears are what we have shed for the privilege of freedom. The hallmark of We the People is to have the courage to bravely seek and maintain our freedom within the fundamental laws our Nation has laid down. This is who we are.    

Year 1.

~DaMarie

Photo Courtesy of Angele Kamp

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