Thank God for the Rebel Rousers

A pearl of wisdom from my sister made me also reflect on the state of things. She told me, "Thank God for the rebel rousers for they open our eyes to what isn't there."

At first, this saying might seem odd or even obtruse. Thinking about it, a lot of pioneers have been troublemakers in their own right because they challenged what has been accepted and taken as gospel. They openly questioned the state of things and fought for the rights of all opposed to some. They introduced ideas that were revolutionary, but not taken very well by those well adjusted to the status quo. And they were not being "disruptive" perse; instead, they were just doing their duty to wake up the consciousness of the asleep. And those who are asleep mainly say that they "didn't see anything" or that "nothing happened".

At first, in the eyes of the status quo the "rebel rouser" might be seen as tilting at windmills and making pictures out of the clouds. But to those who are deeply sensitive to the actions of some against others, the actions of the "disruptive ones" awaken them to the inequalities and degredation that often happens under the surface. Sadly enough, it costs less to be amongst the conventional who cross every t and dot every i. Making a difference costs more.

And for the number of people who try to make a difference in their lives, there are those who angrily fight back because silencing dissent is part of their modus operandi. When the questions refused be acknowledged and answered, it might seem good. But in the end, it creates another wall against learning and knowledge that might cause a new aspect of social change.

Social change, I gather, is not for the weak-willed or the followers of society. Those that are willing to root out their neighbors and sell them down the river pretty much given up their freedom of thought and action. But for those who are willing to embrace the aspect of inquiry and the search for making things better in society has the world in their hands.

This time more than ever, people are searching for answers. They are hungry for change. The last election showed that a lot of citizens were sick and tired of business as usual. It even caused some heads to roll. Most notably, Mr. Rumsfeld was sent his walking papers due to the disgust of the people over the outcome of the second Iraqi war.

Of course, the quest for "bipartisanship" is a smoke screen. The GOP has no interest in working with the Democrats to make government better. However, it is a time for those who are willing to suggest changes that will make the United States better domestically and internationally. That means mending fences at home and abroad. It also defines the aspect of helping Americans through making their quality of life better.

So, the government, right now, needs rebel rousers. They need the ballsy, disruptive types to get things done in the face of turmoil. These are the people who are brave enough to withstand the pogroms and shout down the loud voices sent to impede social progress in the face of a dire time. It is time that we get courageous, intelligent and tactful leaders who are willing to stick their neck out in the effort to take our country back from the hands of those who have attacked its principles and derailed its efforts against liberty.

Liberty does not always mean what it does because it is turned into a soundbyte or a solemn reminder of an act of aggression. It also stands for freedom of speech, civil rights and the ability to question our government when it is doing things that are detrimental to the progress of its station here and overseas. Liberty also calls for those who are just in their attempts in using the tenets of the Constitution instead of dismantling them for the petty needs of a few.

And it is the rebel rouser who will hold those petty needs in check in the effort progress the civility and gentility of the many who honestly believe that the tenets which made America great should be bestowed to everyone.