In the King James Version at 1 Kings 12 the people of Israel receive Solomon’s son Rehoboam’s reply to their request to treat them more gently.
“13And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him; 14And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 15Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 16So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents. 17But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. 19So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.”
Or to quote from a less hallowed but fairly popular source “I am altering the deal. Pray I don’t alter it any further.”
I find the analogy of this to our present situation. The descendants of the Puritans are the Elites that run and own much of the country. They live in the blue states and send their kids to the Ivy League schools and run the Fortune 500 companies and infest the media companies. They have told us that we are unworthy. They want to chastise us with scorpions. They have altered the deal and we should consider ourselves lucky if they let us exist at all.
Well, maybe it’s time we walk away from these masters of the universe and attend to our own affairs. We don’t run multi-national corporations or sit on the Supreme Court. But we have parents and children and we love the life that God put in us. What portion have we in Harvard and Wall Street? Neither have we inheritance in the Sons of the Mayflower. To your tents, O Deplorables. Now see to thine own house, Jeb Bush.
Wherever we find ourselves in positions of majority we need to begin the process of taking control of our own lives. We will have to push back against the toxic narratives and destructive policies that Washington inflicts on us and our children. Hopefully someone like Ron DeSantis or some other red state leader will step forward and recognize that this is the perfect time to begin the process of saying no to Washington. The dispute over social media discrimination is the likeliest place where a break with Washington can have a meaningful outcome. Punishing Facebook or Twitter seems to be within the power of a governor and state legislature and could let these companies know that their immunity from consequences is over.
We are Americans. That used to mean we were free men. I think we should remember that and try to make it mean something again. Come on you supposed leaders, do something right.