As Independence Day approaches my thoughts turn to the extraordinary courage of our Founding Fathers who, along with only a handful of their neighbors, chose to fight against the tyranny of an oppressive government and declared their Independence. They put their faith in God and pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to make America a free nation.

In today's modern political power structure there is an insidious effort underway to convince Americans to worship the government and place our faith there instead of where it truly belongs:

In God We Trust

This year I encourage you to join me and re-declare your independence from over-reaching government and the attempts to force Marxist ideas onto our nation.

Refuse government assistance of all kinds and turn to your friends and families, neighbors and churches, if you find yourself in need of a helping hand. We don't need micro-managing, government-worshipers in Washington and Madison telling us how to live our lives. Cold-hearted bureaucrats will never truly help you the way your loved ones can so don't fall for their attempts to pit the working class against the wealthy. Those who worship the government will use economic hardship as an excuse to give more power to government while they demonize economic freedom and those of us who take care of ourselves. They insult our intelligence and our individual initiative by assuming that poor Americans will always be in that condition. Government worshiping Marxists ignore the fact that in the United States of America everyone who is willing to work hard can become anything they desire. It's only a matter of time and persistence.

Understand that the modern progressive philosophy rewards laziness and dependence and that the modern philosophy of economic freedom rewards hard work and individual initiative. So, tell me, which is more fair? Trading nothing in return for a taxpayer-funded paycheck or trading hard work and marketable skills in return for a salary provided by an employer who needs those skills?

I grew up in the rural region of southwestern Wisconsin near Kieler. Everyone I knew experienced some hardship at some point in their life but most of us knew that it was our freedom and hard work that gave us the ability to rise above our circumstances if we chose to. It is deeply insulting for today's Marxists to assume that people who are poor today are incapable of rising above their situation and succeeding in a free economy tomorrow. They hold people down just so they can maintain power and control over them as slave masters of their minds.

Just get out of our way and watch what we can do!

Government programs are not the “magic button” to solve the problems you may be experiencing in life. As a matter of fact, the more you allow the government to interfere in your life, the worse your problems become and the harder it is to escape them. Just look at the results of the White House administration's meddling for a perfect example of this truth. They meddled in the economy by standing in the way of energy pipelines and now gas prices are skyrocketing. They meddle with how much money to print and now EVERYTHING is more expensive because of the inflation their meddling has caused. Again, I encourage you to refuse government programs. If you need help look to your family, friends and neighbors - not a cold-hearted bureaucrat who only cares about their petty, personal power.

There was a time in this nation when we all knew our neighbors and helped each other. Today, thanks to government-worshiping Marxists, most people barely know each other and don't care because they assume a government program will help them when necessary. It is time to break with that mentality and remember the principles that founded this nation. Rely on God first and then each other instead of looking to Madison and Washington for the answers to our challenges. Join me today and Re-Declare your Independence so that the shining light of Liberty will wash over our land once again and brighten our futures.