Your Rights Did Not End – Stand Up for Them! – Linda J. Hansen [Ep. 45]

Linda J. Hansen:  Welcome. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of the Prosperity 101® Breakroom Economics Podcast. My name is Linda J. Hansen. Your host and the author of Prosperity 101® - Job Security Through Business Prosperity: The Essential Guide to Understanding How Policy Affects Your Paycheck, and the creator of the Breakroom Economics online course. The book, the course, and the entire podcast library can be found on Prosperity101.com. I seek to connect boardroom to breakroom and policy to paycheck by empowering and encouraging employers to educate employees about the public policy issues that affect their jobs.

My goal is to help people understand the foundations of prosperity, the policies of prosperity, and how to protect their prosperity by becoming informed, involved, and impactful. I believe this will lead to greater employee loyalty, engagement, and retention and to an increased awareness of the blessings and responsibilities of living in a free society. Listen each week to hear from exciting guests and be sure to visit Prosperity101.com.

Your rights did not end. Stand up for them. If you are a regular listener, you know that I typically include guests in each episode. I try not to do too many solo episodes, mostly because I find other people so incredibly interesting, and I love learning from them. And because I do not want to bore my listeners with my own voice. However, I’m doing another solo episode to share some things I have heard from my listeners and to encourage people during this tumultuous time in our nation’s history.

What have I been hearing from my listeners, friends, and fellow patriots? I hear frustration, fear, anger, determination, and a renewed desire to get involved in the political process in one way or another to ensure this election chaos never happens again and to ensure Americans can continue to pursue life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as outlined in our Constitution. I’ve been getting many texts, e-mails, and phone calls from people across the country who have told me they are, for the first time in their lives, afraid for the future of our country. They are concerned their children will not grow up in freedom or to even have the opportunity to experience the greatness of America. They are asking me what they can do to help our country and many have humbly apologized for not being active before now, for feeling that the rights they enjoy as American citizens would be secure if they did not actively protect them. 

Before I go further, I want to express my sincere sympathies to those of you who have lost loved ones due to COVID-19 or who have experienced health issues because of the virus. I’ve lost people, too. It’s painful. And in the midst of this, I also want to acknowledge the people who have lost loved ones who sacrifice their lives to protect our freedom and safety. And to those who grieve individuals for whom the stress became too much and their lives were ended through addiction or suicide. Death is a very, very painful part of life, and even more so during stressful times like the ones we are experiencing. However, at what point do we stop living just to avoid possible death? A dear elderly person feeling isolated in her assisted living facility often says, “I wish they would just let me live before I die.” I am sure her sentiments are echoed by many.

If we look back into history, we can see how gradually citizens became conditioned to accept new rules or regulations to “protect their safety or to promote the common good.” Like frogs in pots of boiling water, we have seen nations rise and fall as citizens have failed to recognize when leaders were bit by bit stripping away their liberties and way of life. I have heard accounts of Holocaust survivors who explained how an entire nation was deceived and how they were unable to reverse the damage once they understood what was really happening. It reminds me of a quote I recently heard by an unknown author, “A nation of sheep often results in a government of wolves.”

In a previous episode, I read a chilling tale called The Children’s Story by James Clavell. I invite you to listen to that episode entitled, How Did We Get Here? Culture in Chaos. It’s a wake-up call to us all. I’m recording this in mid-November 2020. Never in my life did I ever think that government would be telling American citizens where they can go, who they can spend time with even if they are family members, and whether or not their business can be opened. Some overzealous governors have ordered that no more than 10 people be allowed to gather for Thanksgiving holiday. So, what about families with 10 or more children or extended family households. Do some family members have to be outside the entire day? 

Some elected officials have decreed that masks must be worn in between every bite of your turkey dinner and pumpkin pie, and you must not use loud voices. Shh. Some governors and mayors have suggested that compliance officers be dispatched to make sure citizens are not disobeying rules about shopping, gathering, mask-wearing, or conducting business. Will they be dispatched to your homes as well? Will they turn off utilities to your homes if you do not comply? Will they arrest you? Believe it or not, all of that has been proposed. And to make matters worse, your tax dollars are paying for this and for the public schools that your children are not allowed to attend. And the parks where you’re not allowed to gather unless of course you are homeless or protesting. Will they deploy cameras or drones to make sure you have your mask on when you are running alone on a mountain trail? Will Big Tech start listening in and sending citations if your voices are a little too loud? What if you sing? Oh, no. 

If this all sounds ridiculous to you, you are right. But unfortunately, it could become reality. Now, you can see why so many people are regretting their previous lack of involvement in the political process. Freedom is never free. Yet somehow in America, we began to take our freedoms for granted and we became complacent about protecting them. Now, we are suffering the consequences. Ask any legal immigrant about what brought them to America. Ask them about their home country. Ask them how they feel about what’s happening in our nation now.

People often risked their lives to get to this amazing country. They realize we are the beacon of freedom and opportunity for the world. Yet many Americans became comfortable going about their lives day to day, leaving politics to others, but it’s not too late to get involved. It’s not too late to become educated and engaged. America is still, at this point, a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Let’s not forget that. So, what can you do? Read the Declaration of Independence. Study the Constitution. Memorize the Bill of Rights.

When learning how to detect counterfeit bills, officials are trained to memorize the characteristics of non-counterfeit money. That way they can detect the fake currency. The same is true for us when it comes to our rights. For hundreds of years, our country has relied on a system of government that guarantees freedom, equality, and opportunity for all. Yes, all. While we have not always lived up to the ideals of our Constitution, it has still set the standard for what we are to attain to protect the rights of each citizen. We must not turn aside from that now. Our constitutional rights did not end when the pandemic began. Remember that.

Employers, parents, leaders, please speak for truth. Speak for justice. Get involved. Volunteer as an election worker in the next election. Run for School Board to ensure our children are taught basic academics, critical thinking, and the life skills they will truly need. Ask your elected officials where they stand on issues and hold them accountable if they are trampling your rights. No matter what, do not stay silent. May God bless you and may God bless and preserve our beautiful, beloved America.

Thank you again for listening to the Prosperity 101® Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share, and leave a great review. Don’t forget to visit Prosperity101.com to access the entire podcast library, to order my newest book, Job Security Through Business Prosperity: The Essential Guide to Understanding How Policy Affects Your Paycheck, or to enroll you or your employees in the Breakroom Economics online course. You can also receive the free e-book, 10 Tips for Helping Employees Understand How Public Policy Affects Paychecks. 

Freedom is never free. Understanding the foundations of prosperity and the policies of prosperity will help you to protect prosperity as you become informed, involved, and impactful. I give special thanks to our sponsors, Mathews Archery, Inc. and Wisconsin Stamping & Manufacturing. Please contact us today at Prosperity101.com to let us know how we can serve you. Thank you.