I am only one . . ..
By William Bailey (06/16/08)
Edward Everett Hale, former Chaplain of the U.S. Senate (1903) wrote the following: “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I should do and, with the help of God, I will do.” (Thanks to William J. Federer’s “American Minute” for the quote).
Time after time after time, we hear someone (might even be us) say, “but, I am just one person, what can I do ?”
It’s at these times that maybe, just maybe, we need to be reminded of a little history:
** In 1645, one vote gave Oliver Cromwell control of England
** In 1776, one vote gave America the English language, instead of German
** In 1868, one vote saved President Andrew Johnson from impeachment
** In 1875, one vote changed France from a monarchy to a republic
** In 1876, one vote in the Electoral College gave Rutherford B. Hayes the Presidency of the United States
** In 1923, one vote gave Adolf (Adolph, if you prefer) Hitler leadership of the Nazi Party
** In 1960, Richard Nixon lost the Presidential election and John F. Kennedy won it by a margin of less than one percent
When looking at, and considering, national elections and national situations, it is understandable to take the position that “I am only one . . . “. But, stop and think a minute. What if everybody who was saying “I am only one” were to be able to find a way to come together ? What a powerful force of “We the People” to be reckoned with. Obviously, we would have to rise above political party and/or affiliation and take action based on one simple fact . . . we are Americans.
I am not naïve, but I do believe that there are enough Americans across this great land wanting the same things: freedom, liberty, sovereignty, lower taxes, and less control by the federal government. Certainly, there will be differences of opinion on how we get/keep those things, but the important thing is that if there are enough of those “ones” out there, it can happen. As pointed out in a recent article, only 17% of voters believe that actions of/by the federal government represent the will of the people. (Rasmussen Reports, 6/3/2008).
Can it be done ? Sure it can be done. Let me use a simple math “brain teaser” to prove the point. Let’s say that I agree to work for you for thirty days under the following conditions: 1) starting salary is $.01, the first day; 2) salary will be paid on a daily basis; 3) salary will be doubled each day; 4) I will not be asked to do anything that is illegal, immoral or beyond my physical ability to accomplish. Do you know what would happen ? Well, the unbelievable outcome is that, at the end of the 30-day period, you better keep your checkbook ready because I would be a (reasonably) wealthy person. Remember, I am being paid on a daily basis, thus the result is cumulative. All because we start with “one”.
The application here is, of course, that if each of us “ones” could recruit another, based on the same formula as the “brain teaser”, and continue it for a longer period of time, we would have created a powerful force to which politicians would have to pay attention. They would no longer be able to act, based on their own personal agendas or those of some “special interest” group.
We would in fact be such a large group that our size would transcend that of any known “special interest” group. We would be, in fact, “We the People”.
While it’s a big “if”, if we could make this happen, we wouldn’t have to have the candidates (for either President or Congress) tell US what they were going to do. “We the People” would be telling them what they were going to do. And, I would hope, at the top of the list would be to function within the Constitution. Further, I would hope that the message would get across to elected officials that this nation was created for “We the People” . . . not for “You the Politicians”.
Still not convinced of the importance of being “only one” ? Here’s some more historical evidence for you to consider:
** In 1649, one vote literally cost King Charles I of England his head. The vote to behead him was 67 against and 68 for—the ax fell thanks to one vote. (You think the King might feel the importance of one) ?
** In 1845,Texas was admitted to the Union by one vote---that of Edward A. Hannigan from Indiana
** In 1846, a one vote margin in the U.S. Senate approved President Polk’s request for a Declaration of War against Mexico
** In 1850, California was admitted to the Union by one vote
** In 1859, Oregon was admitted to the Union by a margin of one vote
** The Alaska Purchase of 1867 was ratified by just one vote
** In 1889, by a one vote margin, Washington was admitted to statehood with the Union
** In 1890, by a one vote margin, Idaho became a state
An interesting story is told about a young man walking along the beach at dawn. He noticed an old man ahead of him picking up starfish and flinging them back into the sea.
Catching up with the old man, the youth asked what he was doing. The answer was that the stranded starfish would die if left until the morning sun.
“But the beach goes on for miles, and there are millions of starfish”, countered the young man.
“How can your effort make any difference ?”
The old man looked at the starfish in his hand and then threw it to safety in the waves.
“It makes a difference to this one,” he said.
It is obvious to most that we are on a road that is leading us to become a Socialist state, not the Constitutional Republic the founders intended. It took a lot of “only ones” to give us a country envied by most of the world. It would be sad, indeed, if each of the “only ones” failed to take action to get us back on the road intended by the Founding Fathers.
“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I should do and, with the help of God, I will do.”
William D. Bailey
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