Guest post by Howie Howe: Our land, not the Government's. Not to rule but to serve - Granite Grok

Guest post by Howie Howe: Our land, not the Government’s. Not to rule but to serve

Government seems to have forgotten that they exist at the will of the people, not to rule over them, but to serve them in the needs of society, organization, stability, and public safety. Recently, due to the total failure of of our two party system to work cooperatively, to negotiate and compromise in the best interests of the people, we saw one proud group ignore their childish attempts to punish the people over their own partisan ego and divide, and refusal to compromise on either side of the aisle. I am referring to World War II Vets, often referred to a the Greatest Generation, who would not let childish self-indulging political power plays get in the way of them visiting monuments to honor them on public land that belongs to all of us. The Federal government may set aside parts of our country as protected lands, but they do not have the right to deny us access to is it because it does not belong to them, it belongs to us, the people. Like our founding fathers, these old Warrior Veterans revolted against the orders of government, and we should all be proud of their actions. In fact we should be so proud that we follow their lead – tear down the barricades and refuse to accept that government even has the right to close public facilities – after all this is our country, not a Communist state where Government owns and can dictate who gets to use what land for what purpose. I mean how can we be so adamantly opposed to Eminent Domain and yet accept that the government has the right to deny us access to land they took in our names, and supposedly for our benefit?

Our founding fathers were so outraged by the attempts of Government to control there very lives that they rose up against it, and threw it off. And when they won their battle for control, they made sure that future generations would know they had the right to do the same. As an example in publish below Article 10 of the NH State Constitution Bill of Rights:

[Art.] 10. [Right of Revolution.] Government being instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security, of the whole community, and not for the private interest or emolument of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, whenever the ends of government are perverted, and public liberty manifestly endangered, and all other means of redress are ineffectual, the people may, and of right ought to reform the old, or establish a new government. The doctrine of nonresistance against arbitrary power, and oppression, is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind.

Some will call me and anarchist, but I say I am an American, a NH resident, who under the State Constitution has the right to rise up and ignore attempts by government to shutter public property from public use. The Federal government just ordered private campgrounds on National parks, for which they pay no money for operation or upkeep, to close within 48 hours and deny public benefit for the upcoming long weekend – How dare they even suggest suggest a thing – If our state Leaders have the ability to take any Responsibility and show Leadership Integrity they should be telling the Feds “Not Gonna Happen!, And if you attempt to enforce, you will be met by NH National Guard.”

If a bunch of Octogenarians can ignore their barricades and childish attempts at denying public use of public property, then we should do so also. later this month another group or two of World War II Vets will be going to Washington on Honor Flights to visit their monuments, and it is my sincere hope that if Congress, both houses, has any respect for the rights of our citizens, they will not even attempt to deny access if they still haven’t gotten their act together. In fact, if they try, Let the Revolution Begin!

I’m not going camping, but I defend the rights of my fellow citizens to use facilities on land they own. When our monuments in Washington were threatened with possible damage by Anti-War Protesters we rose up against those people and protected the monuments. I think it is time we stand up again and deny a new group of people threatening our monuments by tearing down their barricades and stopping them from allowing public access to public property and private businesses licensed to operate on that property.

Howie Howe is the Veterans Service Officer, NH Help on the Homefront Veterans Advocate (NH HOTH)

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