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The Reaffirmation of the American Founding
Balint Vazsonyi
[Speech delivered February 13, 1996 at the Institute
of World Politics, Washington, D.C., in conclusion of remarks entitled:
"Defining the Other Side"]
This nation was founded on a set of principles which reflected
the most thoughtful consideration and deliberation of the human
condition as recorded since the inception of time. Adherence to
these principles resulted in steadily accumulating wealth, and increasing
access to it by a constantly growing number of Americans. Adherence
to these principles has also fulfilled the promise of liberty for
more individuals than any other society on Earth. Significantly,
it is these principles which enable America to respond successfully
to the requirements of changing times at home and recurring crises
abroad.
The past decades brought the introduction of socialist-inspired
doctrines which advocate and promote practices fundamentally different
in their view of property, family, language, religion, education,
justice, defense, and human relations in virtually every sphere.
The quest for equality before the law for every individual has been
replaced by the disgraceful classification of Americans by origin.
The right to the fruits of a person's own efforts has been eroded
through entitlements to the fruits of other persons' efforts. Schools
which should impart knowledge and instill civic responsibility,
dispense propaganda for activist groups instead; they encourage
pride in everything except in being American. Making the law is
taking the place of interpreting the law in our courts. Under the
guise of 'separating church and state' people of faith are portrayed
as dangerous. At the same time, the current national defense posture
summarily ignores the real threats to our security. Tolerance and
the spirit of voluntarism are being choked by coercion. Advocates
of these and similar practices cannot point to any society which
succeeded by applying them. Yet they continue to delude themselves
and others, citing benefits to be derived at some future date.
We believe that our nation should be guided by the common experience
of successful generations. The founders of the United States of
America provided a framework which has brought forth a society more
conducive to success, both individual and collective, than any other.
The language they spoke and their deeply held beliefs benefited
not only those whom they represented, but in uncommon measure those
who arrived later, speaking a different language and desiring the
freedom to live by their different beliefs. Above all, they bestowed
upon their posterity the incomparable blessings of a polity in which
the peaceful transition of power may occur even under the most unforeseen
of circumstances.
We therefore resolve actively to oppose those practices which are
in direct contradiction to the American Founding and reaffirm our
commitment to its basic principles.
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