Greg Awtry

How does it feel to be 250 years old? This year we, the United States of America, will celebrate over two centuries of independence, and now is as good of time as any to look how far we have come and look how far we can go.

Most know our country’s history, but suffice to say those who came here sought independence, and as it grew we found out the heavy hand of government can become overwhelming, as was the case in Great Briton’s rule over the new colonies.

We thought we could better. We did do better, but it took a long and costly Revolutionary War to even get to a point of developing a Democratic Republic. Our Founding Father’s wrestled with how to design a government that put the power in the people’s hands, and ensure this new independence would be preserved and protected against all enemies, foreign or domestic.

The Founders were bold, brave and independent, but not without fear. Questions still remained if they had created a federal government that was too large or too small. Once the Constitution was nearly complete, some Founders and groups refused to sign off, noting there were no details guaranteeing rights for the people. Once James Madison stepped up and crafted the Bill of Rights, all sides agreed to sign and about six months later, George Washington was elected as our first president.

After Washington’s second term, at the age of 64, he decided to retire. But before he left office, he delivered his farewell address, not to Congress, but to the American people. He thanked them for giving him the privilege to serve. He talked about this new country’s promise and warned us about dangers that could put it in jeopardy. He was most concerned about forming factions, specifically the North, the South, the East and the new West, He told us success was based on the understanding each area needed each other, and we should not form factions that would upset that balance.

Then, Washington got to one of his major concerns, the danger of forming political parties. He said parties would delegate the will of the people to the will of the party, saying, “… although they may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government.

Washington said that parties would be our worst enemy, and that sooner or later the heads of the parties would “turn the disposition to the purposes of their own elevation and ruining public liberty” adding, “… “We have a duty as wise people to discourage and restrain it as it will kindle the animosity of one party against another, fomenting occasional riot and insurrection.”

Washington’s words were not just powerful in nature, they were prognostic in reality. Today, one only has to witness the seemingly never-ending political partisan warfare we see unfold in our nation’s capitol on a daily basis.

That begs the question, where do we go from here? We have several choices. One, we can ignore Washington’s alarms, and just continue to go down this path of division, digging in even deeper in hopes one side, your side, might win. This is not working well.

Or, we might demand more unity between the two parties hoping they can find common ground and put people over party which is not working well either.

Another choice might be to stop electing people who blindly put party first, and seek independent minded candidates who vow to work across party lines to solve our nation’s most challenging issues. This will take the same boldness and independence our Founders demonstrated in the beginning.

That’s where organizations like the newly formed Independent-Voice come into play. They recognize that 43 percent of Americans, when asked which party they identify with, answer Independent; while only 27 percent answer Democrat and an 27 percent answer Republican. This huge Independent majority often feels politically homeless and is always looking for ways to get their voices heard, or to find candidates who share their views, and ways to help make the changes necessary for us to seek the common ground by electing people with common sense solutions.

If you are one of those 43 percenters who, like me, are looking for answers, I suggest you check into Independent-voice.com. There you will find, “Independent-voice.com is a networking and information hub for independent and interested voters, candidates, and supporters. The Independent-Voice network provides resources, connection, and perspective to help independents be informed, engaged and empowered to support the greater movement for independent leadership in America.”

Folks, we are a people, self-governed with a continuing quest for Independence, Liberty and Freedom. As we look to the future it would be wise to recognize the prophetic words of Washington who knew parties would divide us, and patriotism could unite us. He asked us 250 years ago that, “We should place great value on this new nation, to cherish it and have an immovable attachment to it.”

This is our challenge. This must be our destiny.