Lansing Reinholz: We are rapidly going from 'Live Free Or Die' to just 'Live'

To The Daily Sun,

My first inclination was to not write this letter, as, who cares, what's to be gained, will it change anything. Then I read a certain letter to the editor in this newspaper that made writing it a mind-saving experience. Whose mind? Mine. I care and I believe others care, whether heard or not. To be gained? At least for me to be heard, could cause it to fester in my mind , causing me to shake, drink and hallucinate to the point where I could actually imagine Pelosi being elected president of Russia. Oops, I mean the USA.

Will anything change because of this letter, other than my previously held almost unshakeable belief that it "just couldn't happen here"? Doubtful.

Full disclosure: I do not personally know any of the letter writers published in this newspaper, nor any of the local or national bureaucrats or politicians making or carrying out the rules and edits that dramatically infringe on our rights, as laid out in the following documents. Anyone insulted by the contents of this letter may feel free to be outraged as that emotion has not yet been banned although the concept of "THOUGHT POLICE" is on the minds of some nefarious (for non-PhD's wicked, evil) bureaucrats and politicians.

March 23, 1775 Patrick Henry (called Pat by his friends; that damn radical by not-friends) said in a speech to the Virginia Convention, "I am an American. Give me Liberty or give me Death!"

In 1759 Ben Franklin (he let me call him Ben as we were about the same age) he wrote and I paraphrase (for non-PhD's that means similar wording): "Those who would give up liberty for security deserve nor shall have neither."

Thomas Jefferson (who insisted he be called Thomas or Mr. Jefferson and later Mr. President but always Tommy by his mommy and a dreamer by his dad, and "that damn radical liberal" by his nemesis John Adams, in 1776 wrote the Declaration of Independence (and in 1789 much of our U.S. Constitution) in which he expressed our unique American beliefs and values: "We have certain unalienable rights which include LIFE, LIBERTY and THE PURSUIT of HAPPINESS."

In 1809 General John Stark of N.H. toasted "LIVE FREE or DIE. Death is not the worst of evils."

In 1945 the N.H. Legislature adopted LIVE FREE or DIE as the state motto.

Today, we see our lives controlled by and dictated to by unelected bureaucrats and gutless, anti-capitalist, anti-democratic politicians as the country is "transformed." The taxpaying citizenry will ultimately have one role: pay the bill. The sheep continue to give in, say nothing and ultimately will deserve what they get and regret it forever.

As a people have been the most free, prosperous, generous, helpful and forgiving nation in history. We are very, very, close to close to losing it all. LIVE FREE or DIE went to LIVE FREE in the 70s and 80s. Now it appears to be just LIVE.

Lansing Reinholz

Thonotosassa, Florida