Some Advice From
Abraham Lincoln

In Lincoln's first Inaugural address, he said: 


"I do not forget the position assumed by some, that constitutional questions are to be decided by the Supreme Court; nor do I deny that such decisions must be binding in any case, upon the parties to a suit, as to the object of that suit, while they are also entitled to very high respect and consideration in all parallel cases, by all other departments of the government.

"And while it is obviously possible that such decision may be erroneous in any given case, still the evil effect following it, being limited to that particular case, with the chance that it may be overruled, and never become a precedent for other cases, can better be borne than could the evils of a different practice.

"At the same time, the candid citizen must confess that if the policy of the government, upon vital questions, affecting the whole people, is to be irrevocably fixed by decisions of the Supreme Court, the instant they are made, in ordinary litigation between parties, in personal actions, the people will have ceased to be their own rulers, having, to that extent, practically resigned their government into the hands of that eminent tribunal."

If our founding fathers were with us today, I believe that they would say that the people have ceased to be their own rulers, and have resigned their government to the political parties and their money, and the institutions that they have created.   

A Plan of Action
If the people are to become their own rulers, they must define exactly what they want. 

If their demands are vague, or in ideological conflict, they will not be met.  If one is caught up with abortion or prayer in the schools, for example, whatever his belief, there will be opposition. 

Virtually everyone agrees that there is dysfunction.  

Vague complaints about evil people accomplish nothing.

Some people are apathetic
because they have been raised to believe that our problems are a byproduct of our form of government.  Someone once said:  "it is very imperfect, but it is still the best form of government formed by man."  That implies that we have to accept it.  

People must have more than an awareness of dissatisfaction.  They can have an endless list of complaints, and be extremely angry, and yet not solve the problem.  They must see the flaw in the system, which is not now the case.  If the people are clear, specific, and united in their demands, they will get what they want.


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