Nearby my home here in Northwest Ohio are two little towns that have been tempting me to use them metaphorically. There are other towns in the region that are phenomenal candidates for illustrative purposes, but these two are a mere 15 miles apart and are perfect for a reflective metaphor. Liberty Center and Whitehouse are ideal settings for an apocryphal look at our current situation in the United States of America. For those of you familiar with our little corner of the world, the nation and Ohio, you will note that I’m not writing about Luckey, Kansas, Texas, Oregon or Florida all of which are situated here. No, it’s Liberty Center and Whitehouse that have captured my attention. Maybe someday I’ll extol the beauties of Melmore, Belmore and Elmore…..but I doubt it.
Whitehouse is a great little town with excellent eating places and a number of small local businesses who treat one fairly and do quality work. It hosts an annual cherry festival, so what could be better? The town bridges the gap between the fertile farmlands of our region and the forested remnants of the Black Swamp. The greatest drawback for Whitehouse, however, is its name. The White House is a symbol of a nation that has become corrupt and venal. The White House has been the temporary home for megalomaniacs, incompetents, liars and thieves. The notion of pristine purity that should be projected by the stark alabaster façade of the building has been indelibly stained by occupants who cavalierly ignored their oaths of office to protect and defend The Constitution of the United States. Many of our former presidents disgracefully violated their solemn duties, but the present inhabitant and his surly ungrateful spouse have inflicted grave damage to the stately old mansion and its legacy.
The White House and its adjacent West Wing has become the seat of numerous unconstitutional power grabs by frustrated Chief Executives whose sense of self-importance is second only to their maniacal desires to impose their will on the Congress, the courts and, more tragically, the people of the nation. The White House has been the scene of underhanded deals, outright bribery and secretive efforts to hide the truth from the citizens of the United States. It is the center of power in a power hungry city. It houses (at least for now) the most powerful and influential head of state on the planet. The White House or The Executive Mansion as it is formally named is the symbol of liberty, hope and opportunity through the world. Nearly all of us grew up believing that even we…yes, you or I, could be President of the United States someday. The machinations of the elites and the crony capitalists have punctured that dream, but the promise of the Founding and the structure of the Framing are still with us….though tragically ignored.
Ideally one could point to the White House (Whitehouse), the Capitol or Washington, District of Columbia, as the center of liberty. But alas, that is not the case today. Liberty Center is roughly 15 miles from Whitehouse, but the ideal it represents is generations and light years from the President’s official home. Because our political class and their nefarious accomplices have so thoroughly trashed the concept of freedom that formed our nation, the center of Liberty is difficult to locate. Is it in Kansas (the state) near the geographic center of the country? Is it in Texas (the state) where the economy is booming? Is it in Montana where folks can enjoy the “big sky’ and generally ignore the bleating of the D.C. crowd? Perhaps the center of Liberty is in Idaho…land of rugged terrain, fertile valleys and Ruby Ridge. No, it clearly isn’t there…no matter how remote or far off the grid it may be. It may be that the center of liberty has been secured in a vault somewhere and buried far beneath the ground where the bureaucrats, politicians, regulators and busy-bodies can’t find it.
The answer to our perplexing question is really a simple one. The center of liberty can be discovered when the hearts and minds of a few people are fused in a passion for freedom. It only takes a few, then several more followed by a determined cadre who builds brigades of patriots to spread the message of liberty. The movement grows and its intensity increases until someday…..soon, we pray….a new freedom engulfs the land, and the people prosper.
It has been my good fortune to have seen people who hold a love for liberty in their hearts and minds. I have met many of them, but their numbers are not yet sufficient to restore the promise of freedom for all. Many, many more are needed. If they come, will it be in time? Whitehouse and Liberty center merely 15 miles apart but metaphorically they are not in the same universe.
Comment: cearlwriting@hotmail.com
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