It was a difficult decision to choose between Independence and Responsibility for this title. Responsibility was selected because Responsibility encompasses Independence and Accountability in its’ practice. On the other edge of the sword is Nullification, a term and practice we Americans have been hearing a great deal about lately. Put them together and we can be free again. Nullification is customarily a state practice of declaring a law null, void and invalid; and is primarily directed at the federal government. Part of Nullification is Interposition, when a state inserts itself between the federal government and the states’ citizens on behalf of the citizens.

On a state or even community level, Nullification is the states’ or cities’ power stemming from the Peoples’ Right to say, “We’re not recognizing your unconstitutional mandates, and we’re taking responsibility for governing ourselves. ” Responsibility means that one is able and ready to meet and fulfill obligations. If we are to remain sovereign, free individuals, it is incumbent upon each of us to accept and take seriously our obligations of Responsibility. Examples of these are discussed below, and included in that list are many which unprincipled people ‘take for granted’, claiming “that’s human nature.” That attitude is a cop-out. Further, it is not human nature, it is ‘government control and societal grooming’, also discussed below.

Without going into too much detail on these responsibilities, they include things like our health, finances and raising children. It is essential to understand that when we abdicate such duties to another for these important but fundamental facets of life, that does not remove the accountability portion of the responsibility. We are all ultimately accountable, or should be, for ourselves and our responsibilities; yet we blame our doctors, financial planners and day-care providers when things don’t go the way we want or were told they would.

That’s taking something for granted, so as to avoid the responsibility. We are bombarded by the government, media and society, encouraged to do exactly what we should not be doing: rely on someone else; but that is only an excuse to remain in our comfort zones and not face responsibility.

If parents genuinely took responsibility of planning for and the upbringing of their children, there would be no need for Roe vs. Wade. Congratulations to Ohioand their passing in the House of HB125. If we, as independent and sovereign beings, genuinely took responsibility for our own health, there would be no need for Obamacare. If we, as independent, cognitive beings took genuine responsibility for our own finances, we would not need financial planners, or even Glass-Stegall. Humans are created to be responsible and designed to hold themselves accountable for these things and really have no standing to complain when we take responsibilities for granted by passing them off to another.

Families committed to strong values and responsibility built America, so if we are to be a free people, these practices must return to American households. As independent thinking beings, each of us is ultimately responsible for their own health, finances and children (at least until they reach the age of majority). The doctor can’t be at ones’ side continuously to prevent one from poor eating habits discussed at the clinic. The financial planner can’t advise and make decisions for ones’ portfolio 24/7. Nor can a child be left without supervision for more than a second or two.

Hopefully, this is starting to paint a picture as to why it is each individuals’ responsibility – these and other facets of life, and why we must take them seriously. It goes without saying that these are properly functioning beings, cognitively, physically and spiritually. Passing these responsibilities off to another or your government provides an ‘out’ when things don’t ‘go right’ or to ones liking. That’s Socialism, though we’re now way beyond that level of government control in America. We are disappointed when our financial portfolio goes down, so what does that person do? Calls his broker and rips into him. Is that fair? This writer suggests it is not and the anger distributed by the portfolio holder upon the broker should really be directed at himself. We are human, we make mistakes. But most do not react and then act in this manner, because they have taken that responsibility for granted by passing off that responsibility to another and therefore it’s now his fault. Who owns the portfolio? Isn’t it really the owners’ responsibility? And why are we, as is much of our society, so eager to blame another for what is, in the final analysis, our own responsibility? When bad things happen to good people, why do ‘good’ people lose it on the ones they handed responsibility off to in the first place; and (sometimes) do bad things?

Answer: look in the mirror.

Doug Berge
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