Shay's Rebellion and Foreclosures in 2008 - DigitalJournal.com: The Power of Citizen Journalism

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From Shay's Rebellion to Fight Club, sometimes the tree of liberty has to be refreshed with a little blood. Sometimes bleeding is the only way to remind people that they are alive.

1 in 501 homes in America are in some state of foreclosure. The 1 in 501 homes are only the newest set of foreclosures that have happened over the past two years. Millions of Americans are becoming homeless, poor, and riddled with bad credit, because of predatory lending and a failing economy.

The federal government has not noticed the trials and tribulations faced by the majority of their constituents. The concern in the federal government seems to extend is to the banks that have fleeced and raped the American people. Bear Stearns was bailed out with billions of dollars, now Indy Mac has been taken over by the government. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are in major trouble. Money is being thrown at these institutions that acted in not only an immoral way, but now it seems in illegal ways as well. 150 banks may go under and again more money is thrown at these banks. Yet, people are still facing homelessness.

This is our America, this is our government, awarding the wicked and punishing the victim. If we lived in a young America the people would have not put up with this type of corporate back scratching and blatant disregard for the real problems of the people. People would have exercised two rights that make sure we the people can keep our government in check; the right to bear arms, and the right of freedom of expression. In other words there would have been a rebellion.

Let us go back to January 1787 when Daniel Shay, an ex-Revolutionary War soldier decided that the abuses of the Massachusetts government which led to foreclosures of farms were not to be tolerated. Shay’s Rebellion attempted to stop foreclosures by preventing courts from sitting by force. Although the attempt failed after a private militia group broke up the rebellion, it brought much attention to the failings of the government at the time. That same year American Constitution was written to replace the weak Articles of Confederation.

It can be amusing to see the responses of the founding fathers had to Shay’s Rebellion. George Washington is quoted as saying, “For God’s sake, if they have real grievances, redress them; if they have not, employ the force of government against them at once.” Obviously the governor of Massachusetts did not feel that the ex-Revolutionary war soldiers that went in debt from fighting in the war for independence have any reason to complain. Thomas Jefferson wrote a famous reply that many subverts and dissidents cling to for justification of their views. “A little rebellion now and then is a good thing. The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” The question that remains is that did Thomas Jefferson believe these men were patriots, or tyrants?

Many people facing foreclosures today, some soldiers who have lost everything fighting in Iraq, would say that the rebels had the right idea. Will the government today have the same response if there were mass protests across the country? Would the American people who have been suppressed, held down, and trampled on by power hungry government officials be dispersed and forced to flee to neighboring countries?

When news reporters bring up the subject of the personal suffering of homeowners, talking heads discount them as either uneducated and poor, or irresponsible. They say the economy is fine, although we have consistently lost jobs in the recent economy, although home equity is almost destroyed, although underemployment has risen significantly. How these men and women can appear on national television and insult hardworking men and women without reproach shows just how out of touch the upper class is with the majority of America; and how powerless people are to even challenge so-called experts let alone the power wielding bureaucrats.

It is time for the tree of liberty to be refreshed, perhaps not in blood, but with the sweat, tears, and shame of the out of touch representatives, the elite who hold the rest of America by the strings. It is time for the suits on the hill to be reminded that there are real people, and real constituents; with lives, families, children, and concerns that must be taken into account. Despite the spin of the media and the talking heads, the majority of people who are in foreclosure did not make an idiotic choice. They lost thier jobs, or were manipulated by loan sharks. Many did not have adjustable rates and were caught in a scam, or rising taxes, or the addition of forcplaced private mortgage insurance because they did not have 20 percent of thier house already paid for. Yes, somehow charging upwards of $100 dollars or more a month for insurance the bank takes out on your loan is supposed to help you pay for it a bit easier or make your payments more secure. Now the FDIC has placed restriction on lending that will make it impossible for anyone to own thier own house again.

In the late 1990’s when credit card companies were being scrutinized as people began to feel the crunch of heavy credit card interest rates. Hollywood tackled the credit card problem in response to this new found dissatisfaction. The move Fight Club was at first appeared as a simple psychological drama. The ending though was inspiring for people who wanted to “stick it to the man,” without extreme violence. In the middle of the night the Fight Club bombed major credit card buildings, wiping out information on the debt of many.

The first rule of Fight Club, do not talk about Fight Club. Anyone who is planning on taking on the Feds whether it is by the violent means of the movie, but preferably through protest, would do well not to let the plans slip out till everything is set. If Americans were to unite against the government officials, many of who are American royalty with family trees branching within the government for generations, they would meet opposition that is clearly sophisticated, well funded, and backed by the most powerful military in the world. That is unless the grassroots organization could convince the military that it is in their best interest to support those trying to subvert the corrupt government.

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Opinion: Shay's Rebellion and Foreclosures in 2008

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