1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,680 Speaker 1: Well, first off, happy Independence Day. I hope everyone is 2 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: having an amazing day. I hope you're spending time with 3 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: the people you love. I hope you're spending time with 4 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: your friends, your family. Maybe you're on a trip, maybe 5 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:11,520 Speaker 1: you're just doing a staycation, or maybe you even have 6 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 1: to work. But I hope it's a great day. Nonetheless, 7 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:20,080 Speaker 1: as we celebrate Independence days, we celebrate America's independence from 8 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:24,119 Speaker 1: a monarchy, we look today at what is really transpired 9 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:27,159 Speaker 1: over the past few years, particularly during COVID and I 10 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 1: talked about this a lot on the show, but it 11 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: was so eye opening for me. I'm sure it was 12 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: for a lot of you guys at home. Of just 13 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:35,560 Speaker 1: tyranny is here? Right? We're not immune to tyranny. Of course, 14 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 1: we weren't back when this nation was founded, but we're 15 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: certainly not today. And if you look back at the 16 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 1: founding generation or founding fathers, they didn't put up with it, right, 17 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 1: They weren't putting up with this oppressive regime from far 18 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: away trying to strangle their way of life, trying to 19 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: impose on their way of life, trying to dictate to 20 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: them their way of life. So why are we putting 21 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: up with it today? Right? Why why are we putting 22 00:00:57,800 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: up with with our government. I'm not saying we don't 23 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: have the sort to obviously that the tactics that are 24 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,040 Speaker 1: Founding Generation resorted to, but there are other ways to 25 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: fight back. There are other ways, uh to fight back, 26 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 1: you know, locally, to fight back against government, to fight 27 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 1: back against tyranny, and to to resist a little bit. 28 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:17,840 Speaker 1: So today what I want to do is sort of 29 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 1: revisit the foundations of America, Revisit our founding fathers, revisit 30 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: the Founding Generation. You know, why was America born? You 31 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: know what happened in the lead up before the Decoration 32 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: of Independence? You know what happened to that lead up 33 00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 1: before July four, seventeen seventy six. So we're gonna get 34 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 1: into that with a historian. His name is Dr Bryan McClanahan. 35 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 1: He has his own podcast, The Brian McClanahan Show. You 36 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: can check it out an Apple. I listened to like 37 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 1: five yesterday. It's super interesting. He gets into a lot 38 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: of real world issues, today's issues from a historical perspective, 39 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 1: and he just has really interesting takes audit. He's really 40 00:01:57,120 --> 00:01:59,639 Speaker 1: smart guy. So he's also the author and co author 41 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: of x Books. He's written books like The Politically Incorrect 42 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 1: Guide to the Founding Fathers The Founding Father's Guide to 43 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 1: the Constitution. He's a faculty member at the tom Woods 44 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: Liberty Classroom. He received a bachelor's degree in history from 45 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: Salisbury University, of masters in history from the University of 46 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 1: South Carolina, as well as his pH d in history 47 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 1: from the University of South Carolina. It's just a really 48 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 1: interesting guy. So today, on this Independence Day, we're going 49 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 1: to talk about individual liberty. We're gonna talk about freedom. 50 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: We're gonna talk about the birth of America, why this 51 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 1: country is special, why this country needs to be preserved, 52 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: and what we can do to preserve it. So I 53 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: hope you enjoyed this fourth of July Independence Day Special 54 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:55,239 Speaker 1: with Dr Brian McClanahan. Dr Brian McClanahan, thanks so much 55 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: for joining The Truth with Lisa Booth. I appreciate your time. Well, 56 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: thanks for having me. I appreciate it. So I've see 57 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: this is for the Independence Day special. You know, we've 58 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 1: sort of seen a lot of narratives that we believe 59 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 1: to be true have been contradicted and shown to not 60 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:11,920 Speaker 1: be true, and a lot of what we thought we 61 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: were insulated in immune from in America, like tyranny. We 62 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: saw during COVID that we are actually not. So I 63 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:21,360 Speaker 1: kind of wanted to revisit American history or nation's foundings 64 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:24,639 Speaker 1: and sort of how far we've gone from that beginning, 65 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 1: and I thought you'd be the perfect person for for 66 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:29,239 Speaker 1: this episode. Well, I appreciate you having me on. Yes. 67 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:31,079 Speaker 1: I mean it's when you look at what's happened in 68 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 1: America over the last couple of years, and I mean 69 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: really in the last hundred plus years, and where we've 70 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: where we've come from, and where we are today. There's 71 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: a dramatic difference between two and seventeen seventy five and 72 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: what Americans willing to accept in seventeen seventy five and 73 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: we're willing to accept today. If if the founding generation 74 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 1: were dropped in two, they look at all of us 75 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: and say, what are you doing? You know, we we 76 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 1: were willing to do uh, far more for far less 77 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 1: than what you're willing to suffer through now. And so 78 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: it's it's a really important history lesson to get all 79 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 1: of this right. Because of Americans really knew the story 80 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: of independence. I think they will be looking at things 81 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: today dramatically different. Well, and what's interesting is I was 82 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: listening to your podcast. It's really good. People should go 83 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:17,040 Speaker 1: take a look of subscribe to Brian McClanahan show. You 84 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:20,919 Speaker 1: sort of challenge a lot of uh, you know, groupthink orthodoxy. 85 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: Uh that you know, a lot of people say a 86 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 1: lot of points about history that may or may not 87 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 1: be true that we've been taught incorrectly as well. But 88 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: so you use Founding generation instead of just talking about 89 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: the Founding Fathers. Why do you make that distinction? Well, 90 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: because if you just say the Founding Fathers, people think 91 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:40,040 Speaker 1: it's the fifty five men who drafted the Constitution, or 92 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 1: it's maybe six people. I mean, I've called them the 93 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: Big six. You know, it's Washington, Adams, Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison, Franklin. 94 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: And of course that's incorrect. You had an entire generation 95 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 1: of Americans through thirteen states that we're interested in these 96 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:57,360 Speaker 1: principles that we all think about today, independence, liberty, all 97 00:04:57,400 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: these things. And so when you talk about the Constitution, 98 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: for example, um, the Constitution wasn't ratified by fifty five guys. 99 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 1: It was ratified by thirteen states, and you had a 100 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:11,279 Speaker 1: large public discussion about what that meant. And so there's 101 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:14,120 Speaker 1: a lot of people in that generation of founders that 102 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:18,279 Speaker 1: we wouldn't recognize. For example, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, who 103 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: was so important in that period of time, but nobody 104 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: knows who he is. Or even people that you might 105 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 1: recognize their name, like George Mason of Virginia, but you 106 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 1: don't really know much about him so or John Dickinson 107 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: of Pennsylvania. Mean, this is a bigger issue than just 108 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 1: a few guys sitting in Philadelphia in seventeen eighty seven, 109 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 1: or even just the delegates to the Continental Congress in 110 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:40,919 Speaker 1: seventeen seventy six. There's so much more to this, and 111 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:43,479 Speaker 1: I think we need to be comprehensive. And when we 112 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:47,159 Speaker 1: talk about this generation of people, there was a variety 113 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 1: of viewpoints, but at the end of the day, they 114 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:52,280 Speaker 1: were all committed to one particular principle, and that was 115 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: a limited central authority. And when they're talking about the 116 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 1: British and the relationship between the British and the American colonies, 117 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:00,279 Speaker 1: and of course that would translate later in to the 118 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 1: Constitution and the Articles of Confederation and the Declaration. So 119 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 1: they were all committed to that and also that to 120 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:07,919 Speaker 1: that principle of independence, and I think that's something we 121 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: often forget. How much of what we are taught about 122 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: history is actually true. Well, that's a big question. Um. 123 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:18,159 Speaker 1: When you when you think about the founding period, there's 124 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 1: a lot that people get right, even the the leftist historians. 125 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: There are are things that get right. But um, I would 126 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:27,679 Speaker 1: say that the real problem in America with teaching history 127 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 1: is um politicizing everything. You know, if it's um, if 128 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 1: we're talking about the eighteenth century, it has to be political. 129 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 1: And what I mean by that is there these these 130 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 1: people have to be twenty one century Americans. If they're not, 131 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,240 Speaker 1: then we're just going to discard them. Mean, this is 132 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 1: the entire agenda, going after people like Washington and Jefferson 133 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 1: now for things that they did that we don't do today, 134 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:51,280 Speaker 1: or views that they held that we don't hold today. 135 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:54,400 Speaker 1: But um, that's the real problem. It's it's saying, Okay, 136 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 1: well Washington is a great man. Well wait a second, 137 00:06:57,480 --> 00:06:59,719 Speaker 1: because he owned slaves, he's not really that great of 138 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 1: a man. Or Jefferson is a great man. We'll wait 139 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:03,919 Speaker 1: a second, because he owned slaves and he's not a 140 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:06,640 Speaker 1: great man. So or because he held views on race 141 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 1: that we don't hold today. So this is the real issue. 142 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 1: It's not that we're taught things incorrectly. It's that everything 143 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 1: is politicized and has an agenda behind all of it. 144 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: So instead of just using history as a as a point, 145 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: we can say, well, these people were great, Let's look 146 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 1: at what they said, and we know that they have 147 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 1: that they do things or say things that we don't 148 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 1: necessarily agree with to day. But what do they what 149 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:29,240 Speaker 1: do they offer us for Americans in the twenty century. 150 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:32,000 Speaker 1: We have to discard them because they are not twenty 151 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:34,680 Speaker 1: one century Americans. And that's that's called president is um 152 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 1: And I think that's the real issue with historical profession. 153 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 1: That makes a lot of sense, a ton of sense. Actually. 154 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 1: You know, before we kind of get into abbreviated TikTok 155 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: of what led up to the Declaration of Independence, what 156 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 1: do we typically get wrong about the American Revolution? Well, 157 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 1: I think one of the most important things is that 158 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 1: it was simply about taxation, and of course that's and 159 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:56,239 Speaker 1: that was an issue, But the real core issue leading 160 00:07:56,240 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: into independence was this idea that somehow the parliament could 161 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: legislate for the colonies in all cases whatsoever. That's what 162 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 1: Tom Paine said in the American crisis. That was the issue. 163 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 1: They were certainly willing to concede that Parliament could regulate 164 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: international trade or defend the colonies. But what they didn't 165 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 1: want Parliament doing was going in and saying, Okay, these 166 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 1: are the taxes you have to have, and these are 167 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: the these this is the currency you have to use, 168 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 1: these are the things you have to do in the colonies. 169 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:24,560 Speaker 1: Because of course the colonies had their own legislatures and 170 00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 1: the parliament. There was no representation in Parliament for these colonies. 171 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 1: So there was a violation of the ancient rights of Englishman. 172 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 1: So Patrick Henry talked about and it was it was 173 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:36,320 Speaker 1: this idea that somehow Parliament had supremacy over these colonies 174 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:40,080 Speaker 1: when they simply didn't have any role in that parliament. So, um, 175 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:42,720 Speaker 1: when we simplify this period of time, we're making into 176 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:46,719 Speaker 1: about lofty you know rights, um that were fabricated out 177 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:48,720 Speaker 1: of thin air, that you know this that we do today, 178 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:51,080 Speaker 1: the proposition nation equality, these kind of things. I mean, 179 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:53,199 Speaker 1: they certainly talked about that stuff, but at the core, 180 00:08:53,679 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: it was simply about making sure that they could govern themselves, 181 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 1: and they were firmly committed to the Magna Carta, the 182 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: English Bill of Rights East. It was it was an 183 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:06,200 Speaker 1: Anglo American tradition they were fighting for. So um, I 184 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 1: think that's the major misconception that it was just a 185 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:12,679 Speaker 1: simple no taxation. We we don't want to be taxed, 186 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:15,320 Speaker 1: or you know, we're willing to fight for some uh 187 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 1: some other kind of principle that you know, it's a 188 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: it's a something in the air that just doesn't make 189 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:23,200 Speaker 1: any sense. It was certainly a commitment to this idea 190 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: of local self government that they were more concerned about 191 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 1: than anything else. Well, and to that point, did it 192 00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 1: start with the Stamp Act, because I know you had 193 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:32,160 Speaker 1: the Sugar Act the year before, I believe, But the 194 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 1: Stamp Act I believe was a tax on items within 195 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:37,520 Speaker 1: the colonies, which to your point was sort of this 196 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 1: government interference from a government far away that they did 197 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:44,280 Speaker 1: not have representation, they did not have input. Was that 198 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:47,199 Speaker 1: sort of the turning point? And when that relationship changed 199 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:51,760 Speaker 1: and the role of government changed, uh within these colonies? Well, yeah, absolutely, 200 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 1: I mean you point out the Sugar Acting year before 201 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 1: seventeen sixty four, but by seventeen sixty five. You know 202 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:58,760 Speaker 1: when the colony, when the Parliament passes the Stamp Act, 203 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:00,960 Speaker 1: and the colonies we react to that. In the way 204 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 1: they did it was exactly what you said, well, you 205 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:06,800 Speaker 1: know what, you're not going to tax us internally when 206 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 1: that's breaking over a hundred years of precedent. I mean, 207 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 1: you go back to the era of salutary neglectus what 208 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:14,880 Speaker 1: it's called. The parliament let the colonies alone, they could 209 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:18,839 Speaker 1: govern themselves, and so that developed a system in their mind, 210 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:22,680 Speaker 1: a precedent for governance. And so when the Stamp Act 211 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:26,760 Speaker 1: comes about, the the colonial legislatures say, you know, we're 212 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 1: just not gonna this, this is unconstitutional. And of course 213 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:33,079 Speaker 1: the resistance was what we would call today and nullification 214 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:35,400 Speaker 1: actually used it that that that was born out of it. 215 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:37,079 Speaker 1: We're just not going to enforce the Stamp Act, and 216 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:39,079 Speaker 1: we're gonna tell our courts not to enforce. We're not 217 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: gonna have anybody charged with breaking the Stamp Act. So 218 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:46,679 Speaker 1: the resistance was, Okay, you can pass a law in parliament, 219 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 1: we're just not going to enforce it here in the colonies. 220 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: And you saw this across what became the United States. 221 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:54,599 Speaker 1: It wasn't just you know, Massachusetts or but it was 222 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 1: in Virginia. There was there was certainly resistance and in 223 00:10:57,160 --> 00:10:59,560 Speaker 1: every colony to this Stamp Act, and that's because they've 224 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:02,200 Speaker 1: used it is an unconstitutional measure. And I think about 225 00:11:02,240 --> 00:11:04,560 Speaker 1: all the things we have today that our unconstitutional people 226 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:06,319 Speaker 1: just live with it. Okay, yeah, if I they can 227 00:11:06,320 --> 00:11:08,200 Speaker 1: pass it, we'll just go along with it. But that 228 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:11,000 Speaker 1: would not be the founding response to it. Or you know, 229 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:13,520 Speaker 1: you look at COVID, it's not even law. You just 230 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:16,200 Speaker 1: have executive order dictating how we live our lives or 231 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 1: shutting businesses down. That people have put everything into their 232 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:21,840 Speaker 1: whole livelihoods, their ability to feed their kids without a 233 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:23,360 Speaker 1: blink of the eye. But then you know, but you 234 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:25,640 Speaker 1: can ride in the street. That first amendment right is 235 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:28,839 Speaker 1: is you know worthy but not going to church? So yeah, 236 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 1: so I think a lot of people can sort of 237 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:33,560 Speaker 1: sympathize with that. So so to be clear, you know, 238 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:35,920 Speaker 1: before sort of you know, like the Stamp Act, and 239 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:39,439 Speaker 1: you know, there's a bunch of different actions and provocations 240 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:44,200 Speaker 1: that the British government takes against the colonists. But so 241 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:46,640 Speaker 1: there was really sort of a system of self governance 242 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:48,880 Speaker 1: to a certain degree, even though they're part of the 243 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:53,520 Speaker 1: British government. Is that correct? Absolutely? I mean, every every 244 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 1: colony had its own legislature. In fact, the first legislature 245 00:11:57,480 --> 00:12:01,600 Speaker 1: in North America was established in the sixth nineteen in Virginia. 246 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:03,720 Speaker 1: That's the other sixteen nineteen, right, we had the sixteen 247 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 1: nineteen project, But the real importance of sixteen nineteen was 248 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 1: at first legislature in Virginia elected legislature and so um, 249 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:14,160 Speaker 1: you had local government here, and I think that's what 250 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:16,640 Speaker 1: we miss now. Of course, every colony by the by 251 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:19,560 Speaker 1: the eighteenth century had a governor, a royal governor that 252 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:22,600 Speaker 1: was appointed by the crown. But still these colonies had 253 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:26,000 Speaker 1: the ability to legislate for themselves, and and they were 254 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:29,040 Speaker 1: very upset about the fact that you had Parliament stepping 255 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:31,960 Speaker 1: in and saying, okay, well, you know what, we spent 256 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:35,960 Speaker 1: all this money on on defending you during the during 257 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,520 Speaker 1: the French and Indian War, and so now you're gonna 258 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 1: pay for that, and we're going to tell you how 259 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:42,280 Speaker 1: you're going to pay for it. And so this was 260 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:45,880 Speaker 1: the issue. It was legislating for them in all cases whatsoever. 261 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 1: And Tom Paign called it tyranny. He said, that's it. 262 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:52,280 Speaker 1: If we can't to legislate for ourselves, if we can't dictate, 263 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:55,520 Speaker 1: what kind of legislation will accept for ourselves. And there's 264 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:58,600 Speaker 1: no other definition but tierany than that. And so, Um, 265 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:00,800 Speaker 1: when you look back at this period it was, and 266 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:03,680 Speaker 1: you talked about COVID and everything else. I mean, again, 267 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:07,760 Speaker 1: we're willing to suffer for for in the United States today, 268 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 1: for far, you know, far more than what the founding 269 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:13,679 Speaker 1: generation was. I mean they they were not happy about 270 00:13:13,679 --> 00:13:17,160 Speaker 1: a small tax that was being levied against them against 271 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 1: their will, and they were willing to declare their independence 272 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:21,760 Speaker 1: over it. And how much are we willing to accept today? 273 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:24,160 Speaker 1: How much of elite is um sort of came into play, 274 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 1: Like even though like George Washington was read, she's not 275 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:28,640 Speaker 1: a British noble, right, he probably still felt like they 276 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:30,920 Speaker 1: were thumbing their nos at him, looking down upon him. 277 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:34,400 Speaker 1: How much of that sort of had to play in here. Well, 278 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:37,719 Speaker 1: that's a good question when you think about the leadership 279 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:41,320 Speaker 1: in the colonies. Um, if you just used Virginia as 280 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:43,160 Speaker 1: an example, I mean a lot of these people believe 281 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:47,440 Speaker 1: they were in so many ways kind of a part 282 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 1: of this old gentrification system in in in Great Britain. 283 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:55,400 Speaker 1: I mean you have the distress cavaliers that came out 284 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:59,120 Speaker 1: to Virginia and they established plantations. But um, certainly there 285 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 1: was an anti monarchical stance in America. UM. I wouldn't 286 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 1: say it was dramatically democratic the way we think of 287 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:08,440 Speaker 1: it today, but um, they were certainly more democratic than 288 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,199 Speaker 1: which you would find in Great Britain. Um. As far 289 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:14,400 Speaker 1: as the elitist position, I mean, they certainly didn't care 290 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 1: for that. For the hereditary monarchy, they at least a 291 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 1: portion of the founding generation they didn't they didn't care 292 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:22,200 Speaker 1: for it. There were those, of course, did I mean 293 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:24,560 Speaker 1: there were there were Tories in America. So they were 294 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:27,520 Speaker 1: certainly fine with with the monarchy. But um, those that 295 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:30,160 Speaker 1: were interested independence, I mean that that attackle on the 296 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:32,680 Speaker 1: king or this hereditary system was something they didn't like. 297 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:35,520 Speaker 1: And this is why when there was an executive proposed 298 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:38,360 Speaker 1: in Philadelphia and seven, they all sat in sun styles 299 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 1: for for a minute and they said, you know, my gosh, 300 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:42,720 Speaker 1: this is we're going to get a king, and we 301 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 1: didn't want that. And so when you look at the 302 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:47,920 Speaker 1: artists of Articles of Confederation, there's no monarchy in that 303 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:50,880 Speaker 1: there's no executive so um, that was something they were 304 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 1: certainly concerned about. And and um that elite. I don't 305 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:56,320 Speaker 1: know if it was necessary elitism, but they certainly didn't 306 00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 1: like the hereditary monarchical system to to a great extent. 307 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 1: Quick commercial break back with Dr Brian McClanahan on the 308 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 1: other side, talk about sort of like the provocations, these 309 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:12,280 Speaker 1: acts where that revolutionary spirit just started to build up. 310 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:14,000 Speaker 1: You know, we talked about the Stamp Act, you talked 311 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:16,000 Speaker 1: about the Sugar Act. You know, you've got the t Act, 312 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:17,800 Speaker 1: the town Shoud Acts, all these different things, you know, 313 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:20,040 Speaker 1: talk about sort of that that build up, and that 314 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: increased just frustration with the heavy hand of you know, 315 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:26,720 Speaker 1: the British government kind of you know, putting it down 316 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 1: on their necks. Sure well, I mean if you if 317 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 1: you're one of my favorite characters and all that is 318 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:34,160 Speaker 1: Sam Adams, because Sam Adams was the guy that we 319 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:36,480 Speaker 1: all know, this person. They stand on the corner or 320 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 1: nowadays it's on the Internet and they say, you know 321 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:40,440 Speaker 1: it's going to get bad, It's gonna get worse. Just wait, 322 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 1: it's gonna get worse. It doesn't matter what's going on. 323 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:44,400 Speaker 1: This things are going to get worse. Just wait and 324 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:46,920 Speaker 1: see you just watch, take my word for it. And 325 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:49,640 Speaker 1: so if you look at seventeen sixty five and the 326 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 1: Stamp Act and the response to that, it actually worked. 327 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 1: I mean, the colonists figured out that if they could 328 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:57,880 Speaker 1: go after the British in the Parliament in their wallet, 329 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:00,280 Speaker 1: it was gonna help. And so the response was either 330 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 1: nullification or non importation. They they set up ways to 331 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:08,240 Speaker 1: hurt the the Empire economically. But of course by seventeen 332 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:11,480 Speaker 1: sixty seven they're there, the Parliament is doubling down. And 333 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 1: then by seventeen seventy, uh, you see things get pretty bad, right, 334 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 1: I mean it's it's uh, you have your five years 335 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:24,280 Speaker 1: away from the ultimate break. But you had a period 336 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 1: of law between seventeen seventy and seventeen seventy two where 337 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:29,240 Speaker 1: there wasn't a whole lot going on. But by seventeen 338 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:32,000 Speaker 1: seventy three, again you see these these bills by Parliament 339 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 1: ramping up. And this is the North Parliament. I mean, 340 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:37,160 Speaker 1: they they certainly believe that the colonies were their subjects 341 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:40,520 Speaker 1: and the and they needed to be to pay uh, 342 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:44,160 Speaker 1: their fair share and do what the Parliament told them. Um. 343 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:46,360 Speaker 1: And you know, you look at things like the intolable Acts, 344 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:49,240 Speaker 1: which eventually came about because of the t Act, and 345 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:52,000 Speaker 1: and the response to that. One thing we miss about 346 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:53,200 Speaker 1: the t Act, by the way, let me just say 347 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 1: this is that it wasn't really a tax on T 348 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:57,160 Speaker 1: that the colonists were concerned about. It was establishing the 349 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 1: monopoly only certain partners could trade that Sheaf India T 350 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:03,640 Speaker 1: and so they thought that was a violation of good 351 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:07,240 Speaker 1: economic sense and of course creating a royal monopoly in 352 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 1: the tolegues. And so that's why they resisted it. But um, 353 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:12,439 Speaker 1: when you look at the intolerable ax, I mean shutting 354 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:15,240 Speaker 1: down the Massachusetts government, um, saying that you're going to 355 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:18,320 Speaker 1: be essentially part of Canada, which at that time was 356 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:20,199 Speaker 1: whether they were whether they were linking them in. That 357 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:23,800 Speaker 1: was Catholic, and so you had this religious resistance there 358 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:26,840 Speaker 1: as well. But that was the real issue. It was 359 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:30,440 Speaker 1: taking away those colonial charters essentially and saying you're gonna 360 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:33,600 Speaker 1: be under us, directly under our thumb. That was the 361 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:36,920 Speaker 1: point when I think everyone realized, Okay, this is gonna 362 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 1: get really bad, and if we're willing to accept this now, 363 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:42,760 Speaker 1: there's no turning back. I mean they're going to say 364 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:45,600 Speaker 1: to us that they can abolish our legislatures. They can 365 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:47,960 Speaker 1: they can do whatever they want to us. Um, you 366 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:50,640 Speaker 1: had in Virginia right that the grow governor shut down 367 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:52,679 Speaker 1: the legislature of the House of Burgesses, and so they 368 00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:55,280 Speaker 1: went and met in the tavern and said, Okay, we're 369 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:57,960 Speaker 1: gonna beat in Raleigh tavern. We're gonna legislate anyways, because 370 00:17:58,119 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 1: you can't annihilate our our legislature. So um, that was 371 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:04,359 Speaker 1: the real point when you have these in tootable acts. 372 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 1: Even though they were directed only at Massachusetts, the other 373 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:10,240 Speaker 1: colonies reacted to it and saying, well, if it's going 374 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:12,199 Speaker 1: to happen there, it's going to happen here. And the 375 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:14,480 Speaker 1: course Sam Adams has proven correct. He said, just wait, 376 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:16,800 Speaker 1: this is all going to get bad and eventually, and 377 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:19,040 Speaker 1: eventually it did. Well, I've got a lot of people 378 00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:21,080 Speaker 1: saying that about where we are today too, but we'll 379 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:23,320 Speaker 1: get to that in a little bit. Uh. You know 380 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:27,120 Speaker 1: how important were things like the Boston Tea Party, obviously 381 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 1: a massive f you to the British government and just 382 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 1: spurring that public sentiment of rolling people up to being like, 383 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:37,800 Speaker 1: you know what, it's on right. When the Boston Tea Party, 384 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:41,280 Speaker 1: in terms of propaganda, was was very important. Um. You had, 385 00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:44,480 Speaker 1: of course Paul Revere and uh, you know, involved in 386 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:48,280 Speaker 1: creating images of this thing. But when you look at 387 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:51,000 Speaker 1: the actual massacre itself, the term massacre, I mean it 388 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:54,480 Speaker 1: was it was It wasn't really a massacre with the 389 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:57,880 Speaker 1: loss of life, but the the the way that they 390 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:00,520 Speaker 1: could sell this to the public was working. And of 391 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:03,959 Speaker 1: course the colonists were somewhat responsible for this. I mean 392 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:06,640 Speaker 1: they were harassing the British soldiers are throwing ice at him, 393 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:08,840 Speaker 1: and and there was a lot of question about whether 394 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:11,240 Speaker 1: you know, there was even an order given to fire 395 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:13,040 Speaker 1: by the British or if this was somebody staying in 396 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:15,320 Speaker 1: the shadows yelling fire. Of course, there's also a fire 397 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:18,520 Speaker 1: and actual physical fire in Boston at that point, and 398 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:20,800 Speaker 1: so maybe somebody got a little chy trigger finger and 399 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: they fired. Um. But the important part about it too 400 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:28,080 Speaker 1: was the response by John Adams, who thought that these 401 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:30,520 Speaker 1: soldiers needed a fair trial, because if they didn't get 402 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:33,040 Speaker 1: a fair trial, then the Parliament could look at him 403 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:35,040 Speaker 1: and say, well, I mean we're gonna we're gonna ship 404 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:38,159 Speaker 1: you back over to London to stand trial so for 405 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:40,320 Speaker 1: anything else. So he wanted to ensure that these soldiers 406 00:19:40,359 --> 00:19:42,399 Speaker 1: got a fair trial, and they did. He actually was 407 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:45,159 Speaker 1: able to get several of them acquitted. So um that 408 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:47,680 Speaker 1: that response to his interesting Adams did that too great 409 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:49,960 Speaker 1: expense of his of his career, at least at that point. 410 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:52,880 Speaker 1: But um, in terms of propaganda is huge because now 411 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:55,200 Speaker 1: you have dead people in the streets. Um. And there 412 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:57,200 Speaker 1: were other there was another event in New York City 413 00:19:57,240 --> 00:19:59,919 Speaker 1: where you had a similar kind of you know riot. 414 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,560 Speaker 1: There was some there was some bloodshed there too, so 415 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:05,680 Speaker 1: that I mean that part of that period of time, 416 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:07,760 Speaker 1: that little bit of violence. But again things calmed down 417 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:09,359 Speaker 1: after that for a couple of years and then it 418 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:13,919 Speaker 1: was it ramped back up again leading into sell And 419 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:16,600 Speaker 1: you also had you know, other public acts of rebellion 420 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:20,199 Speaker 1: like the Boston tea party as well. Absolutely, I mean 421 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:22,760 Speaker 1: the Boston tea There are many tea parties. That's that's 422 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:24,879 Speaker 1: a fun part of this. To the Boston tea party 423 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:27,640 Speaker 1: where and the most conspicuous where they threw the tea 424 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 1: into the harbor. But you actually had tea parties in Maryland. Um, 425 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:35,200 Speaker 1: you had so you had one there where Uh, the 426 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 1: the citizens of Maryland took all the tea off the 427 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:40,359 Speaker 1: ship and then burned it. Um. And of course the 428 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:42,600 Speaker 1: funny thing about that is they sold it, right, They 429 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:44,320 Speaker 1: didn't just throw it in the harbor. They took it 430 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:45,679 Speaker 1: and they sold it, and they used the money to 431 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:48,679 Speaker 1: finance their activities against the crown. So that was the 432 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:50,639 Speaker 1: more wise thing to do than just throwing it in 433 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:53,480 Speaker 1: the harbor. But um, this the response of the to 434 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:55,439 Speaker 1: the t act was not just in Boston, it was 435 00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 1: it was again across the colony. So these public resistance 436 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 1: to these uh, these uncon institutional or in tablacks was 437 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:05,000 Speaker 1: something very important in leading up to the war. And 438 00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:08,960 Speaker 1: again when we think about today, we had the tea 439 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:10,760 Speaker 1: Party movement for a little while and people, you can 440 00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:12,960 Speaker 1: throw a little tea bags and the water. I mean, 441 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 1: that's that's funny. But um, I don't know if Americans 442 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:18,879 Speaker 1: are as committed today as as the founding generation was 443 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:20,920 Speaker 1: a standing up for things that they considered to be 444 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:24,199 Speaker 1: their liberties. If if. But I am encouraged by what 445 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:26,359 Speaker 1: happened with COVID and people finally saying enough, if we're 446 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:27,920 Speaker 1: just not gonna wear the masks, we're not going to 447 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:30,520 Speaker 1: do this. We're not gonna We're not gonna abide by 448 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:34,000 Speaker 1: your stupid edicts. These things are illegal, they're unconstitutional. I 449 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:36,920 Speaker 1: think that's that was encouraging, and also the response from 450 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:39,840 Speaker 1: various states and saying, you know, federal government really to 451 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:41,960 Speaker 1: have this power. Um, we're going to do what we 452 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:43,879 Speaker 1: want to do. And you know Florida, for example, in 453 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:47,680 Speaker 1: Rhonda Santis so um, that was the spirit of independence. 454 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 1: And I think that's something again that's lacking throughout most 455 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:52,680 Speaker 1: of America, but it is still there in many parts 456 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:54,400 Speaker 1: of the United States, and that's a good thing to see. 457 00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:57,240 Speaker 1: And also I think a macron helped too, because basically 458 00:21:57,280 --> 00:21:59,240 Speaker 1: all these people who think they thought they could hide 459 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:01,239 Speaker 1: in their basements or two years got COVID and then 460 00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:03,040 Speaker 1: they're like, Okay, well I don't care anymore, you know, 461 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:08,440 Speaker 1: like it's like it's sort of like deprogrammed these crazy people. So, right, 462 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:10,119 Speaker 1: it's more and more people got it and they figured 463 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:11,919 Speaker 1: out it was a bad cold, and of course, you know, 464 00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:14,639 Speaker 1: you can't minimize it. Initially it was it was pretty 465 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:16,159 Speaker 1: rough on a lot of people, and a lot of 466 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:19,000 Speaker 1: elderly people in particular. But you know, our response to it. 467 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 1: The government's response to it was very much a British 468 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:26,560 Speaker 1: type response initially, and I think that's, um, that's something 469 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:29,400 Speaker 1: we miss and all this, and of course not everyone did, 470 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:33,160 Speaker 1: but it's it's yeah, you're right. As people started seeing 471 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:35,000 Speaker 1: this is not something that we should fear, and they 472 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:36,640 Speaker 1: got back and forget it. We're just going to live 473 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:39,000 Speaker 1: our lives and and I think that was another great 474 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 1: part of the whole thing at the end of the day. 475 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:42,720 Speaker 1: But but your point, you know, thank God for people 476 00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:46,560 Speaker 1: like Governor de Santis uh fighting against the federal government 477 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:48,080 Speaker 1: and saying we're just not going to do this year. 478 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:50,760 Speaker 1: This makes no sense and having the guts and in 479 00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 1: the fortitude to do that. So you know, you got 480 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:56,480 Speaker 1: the the Continental Congress starts meeting in seventeen seventy four, 481 00:22:57,040 --> 00:22:59,159 Speaker 1: and then we've got the declaration, the signing of the 482 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:03,120 Speaker 1: Declaration in Dependence on July four, seventeen seventy six, ratified 483 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:07,160 Speaker 1: by the Second Continental Congress. Between the first and then 484 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:11,160 Speaker 1: this second Continental Congress, what sort of because my understanding 485 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:13,240 Speaker 1: is like the first one that not everyone was really 486 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:14,480 Speaker 1: it was more of just kind of like setting a 487 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:16,800 Speaker 1: message saying, look, this is sort of what we want. 488 00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:19,560 Speaker 1: It wasn't really at that point of saying, you know, 489 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:22,200 Speaker 1: we're well for a full throttle, we're you know, we're 490 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:25,680 Speaker 1: all in on declaring independence. So what kind of well, 491 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:28,560 Speaker 1: first of all, you know, correct me if I'm wrong. Secondly, 492 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:32,200 Speaker 1: what sort of transpired between that first one and then 493 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:35,439 Speaker 1: declaring independence? That sort of just you know, for the 494 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:37,640 Speaker 1: people kind of hanging out, hanging on the side saying 495 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:40,199 Speaker 1: I don't know, brought them over the edge. Right, Well, 496 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:42,280 Speaker 1: you're exactly right about the first kind of Congress and 497 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:45,160 Speaker 1: John Adams complained they weren't going to do anything. Um, 498 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:49,359 Speaker 1: And so you have they get together in Philadelphia and 499 00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:51,040 Speaker 1: they say, all right, well look, let's let's talk about 500 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:53,320 Speaker 1: what's happening here. And of course they did adopt became 501 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:56,440 Speaker 1: the Suffolk Resolves, which were, as I mentioned before, a 502 00:23:56,560 --> 00:24:00,359 Speaker 1: nullification process. We're going to nullify any unconstitutional laws. But 503 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:02,840 Speaker 1: they weren't willing to break at that point. And I 504 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:05,560 Speaker 1: think that's because, I mean, as Patrick Henry points pointed 505 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:07,240 Speaker 1: out in his give me Labor to give me Death speech, 506 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:09,400 Speaker 1: I mean, this was this is something we were more 507 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:12,119 Speaker 1: inclined to do. People are inclined to suffer while evils 508 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:16,000 Speaker 1: are sufferable. I mean so, um they were. They were 509 00:24:16,040 --> 00:24:21,280 Speaker 1: generally willing to accept. Uh. American people were generally willing 510 00:24:21,320 --> 00:24:26,439 Speaker 1: to accept these unconstitutional invasions while they could tolerate them. Right. So, um, 511 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:29,520 Speaker 1: this was this was something that I think in seventeen 512 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 1: seventy four they weren't so committed to independence. Yet certainly 513 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:35,720 Speaker 1: there were people that were. I mean again, Patrick Henry 514 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 1: already was he considered Virginia independent. Uh, much much earlier 515 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:42,520 Speaker 1: than this, I mean as earlier seventeen sixty five. Um, 516 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:44,639 Speaker 1: but in Sam Adams. But I think for the most 517 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:46,880 Speaker 1: part you had in the founding generation, they were still 518 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:49,160 Speaker 1: willing to to put the brakes on. And I think 519 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:53,240 Speaker 1: the real change came when the king rejected their pleas 520 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:56,080 Speaker 1: for an olive branch. This is John Dickinson, you writes 521 00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:58,880 Speaker 1: the olive branch petition, and of course George the Third 522 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:01,399 Speaker 1: gets this. At the same time time he gets some mail, 523 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:05,520 Speaker 1: intercepted mail where John Adams says, well, nobody really believes 524 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:08,639 Speaker 1: this thing anyways, and so George was not willing at 525 00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:12,560 Speaker 1: that point to accept any type of compromise. And um, 526 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:14,600 Speaker 1: and then of course you get seventeen seventy five, and 527 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:16,920 Speaker 1: you get the invasion of lexingtend and Concord, and I 528 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:19,320 Speaker 1: think that's what really turned people around. They said, okay, well, 529 00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:21,520 Speaker 1: if they're going to actually march in and try to 530 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:24,960 Speaker 1: seize our arms, which is what they were doing. Um, 531 00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 1: that was the point where there's no turning back. And UM, 532 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:31,080 Speaker 1: so you get you know, I was almost a year 533 00:25:31,119 --> 00:25:36,760 Speaker 1: before the declaration, so by seventeen seventy six, Uh, it was. 534 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:38,800 Speaker 1: It was a full break. And you still even have 535 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:41,439 Speaker 1: people I Dickinson wasn't going to support independence. Even in 536 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:43,920 Speaker 1: seventeen seventy six, you still have people that weren't on 537 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:46,800 Speaker 1: board with it yet. But um, in realizing that, I 538 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:49,359 Speaker 1: think most people realize when there was an armed conflict 539 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:51,920 Speaker 1: in Massachusetts, and then of course you had other events 540 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:55,600 Speaker 1: before seventeen before the declaration as well. Um, this was it. 541 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:59,359 Speaker 1: We we we can't turn back. We can't say oops, sorry, UM, 542 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:01,720 Speaker 1: we're gonna are just gonna say, um, we're going to 543 00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:03,720 Speaker 1: stay in the empire. There was no way that was 544 00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:05,840 Speaker 1: going to happen because the Parliament was going to to 545 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:08,720 Speaker 1: do everything they could to force the colonies to bend 546 00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:10,600 Speaker 1: to their will, and the King was not going to 547 00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:13,320 Speaker 1: support them, and so, um, I think they believed by 548 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:15,680 Speaker 1: that point they really had no choice by seventeen seventy 549 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:18,000 Speaker 1: six excepting independence. So like for the folks like Dickerson 550 00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:21,359 Speaker 1: that you just mentioned, was it loyalty, was it fear? 551 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:24,439 Speaker 1: Sort of what was holding them back from, you know, 552 00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:27,800 Speaker 1: being completely on board? Well, I think it was a 553 00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:30,440 Speaker 1: mix of both. I mean John Dickinson was a very 554 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:33,959 Speaker 1: wealthy man in Delaware, in Pennsylvania. He had he had 555 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:35,760 Speaker 1: a number of houses, of course, all of which were 556 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:40,000 Speaker 1: burned except his plantation in Delaware. Um, and they were 557 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:41,680 Speaker 1: they were royal to the crown. I mean, this is 558 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:43,560 Speaker 1: would be no different than any of us sitting here 559 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:45,159 Speaker 1: today and saying, my gosh, you mean that would be 560 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:47,360 Speaker 1: a big decision for any of us, Do we want independence? 561 00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:50,720 Speaker 1: We've been American citizens for all these years, however old 562 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:54,879 Speaker 1: you are, and um, we've we've we've been pro United 563 00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:57,360 Speaker 1: States for all this time. And that's a big decision 564 00:26:57,400 --> 00:26:58,800 Speaker 1: for people to make, and it's not one to be 565 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:01,720 Speaker 1: taken lightly. And I think that was the issue for 566 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:04,560 Speaker 1: many of them. They they weren't certain if they wanted 567 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:07,800 Speaker 1: that to take that step. Um, And of course there 568 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 1: was some fear too. They knew that if they signed 569 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:11,760 Speaker 1: their name to that declaration or voted for it, that 570 00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:14,960 Speaker 1: could be construed as treason and so um, that way 571 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:17,399 Speaker 1: you could forfeit your life and your property in that case. 572 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:20,359 Speaker 1: So um, this is a big decision to make. And 573 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:22,840 Speaker 1: it's we take this now very light law. We have 574 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:25,400 Speaker 1: July fourth and everyone shoots off fireworks, we have hot 575 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:29,040 Speaker 1: dogs and ball games. But when that decision was made 576 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:33,720 Speaker 1: in Philadelphia on on July second, in fact, and they 577 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:36,960 Speaker 1: sat there and stunned silence. Do we really just do this? 578 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:41,320 Speaker 1: Did all of these people just vote by state for independence? 579 00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:45,040 Speaker 1: And uh, there was not a big cheer and this 580 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:47,320 Speaker 1: is gonna be a big party. This was oh my gosh, 581 00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 1: what did we just do? And it was a heavy 582 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:52,919 Speaker 1: decision for all the reasons you mentioned. But um, I 583 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:55,960 Speaker 1: think that they realized the gravity of the situation and 584 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:58,040 Speaker 1: what was going to happen and what could potentially happen 585 00:27:58,040 --> 00:28:00,879 Speaker 1: if they lost that that the push for independent. Of course, 586 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:03,080 Speaker 1: it's really heavy what they just did, right, I mean, 587 00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:05,359 Speaker 1: I mean they're declaring war. I mean they're they're they're 588 00:28:05,359 --> 00:28:08,040 Speaker 1: going to go to war. They're they're sending their family members, 589 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:10,399 Speaker 1: their neighbors, the people they love to war. I mean 590 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:13,560 Speaker 1: that's a huge, huge thing. Absolutely, it's not something to 591 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:16,520 Speaker 1: take lightly. And and you know, when you look at 592 00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:18,639 Speaker 1: the costs when they when they said in the declaration 593 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:20,800 Speaker 1: and they pledged their lives and fortunes and their sacred 594 00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:22,720 Speaker 1: honor to this, they really meant it. I think that's 595 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:26,320 Speaker 1: not something that we can we can just flippantly disregard. Um. 596 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:30,199 Speaker 1: So many men sacrificed everything for that. And you know, 597 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:32,639 Speaker 1: I often talked about the Minutemen. You know, they're in 598 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:36,480 Speaker 1: Massachusetts at Lexington and Concord. Imagine you're in your you're 599 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:39,080 Speaker 1: in your bed, it's um the middle of night, and 600 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:41,200 Speaker 1: you hear a rider coming down the road and the 601 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,280 Speaker 1: regulars are coming out, and you have to get up, 602 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:46,920 Speaker 1: grab your grab your musket and head out the door 603 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:50,760 Speaker 1: to go confront the regulars of the British Army, which 604 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:52,280 Speaker 1: is one of the best armies in the world. I mean, 605 00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:55,040 Speaker 1: maybe only the French were better. It's it's it's questionable 606 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 1: at that point they're both about the same. So here 607 00:28:57,160 --> 00:29:00,480 Speaker 1: you are a militiaman fighting against a regular our army, 608 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:02,760 Speaker 1: and that's something we don't really think about. And these 609 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:06,280 Speaker 1: men were not trained to be soldiers like the British. 610 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:08,880 Speaker 1: And so now when you think about the Battle of 611 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:13,320 Speaker 1: Bunker Hill and and the the casualties that these militia 612 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:16,160 Speaker 1: inflicted on the on the regulars there. But then you 613 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:18,640 Speaker 1: move forward in time to the Battle of Long Island 614 00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:21,560 Speaker 1: and how the British and the Hessians just annihilated the 615 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:24,440 Speaker 1: American forces, and what Washington had He was crying, he 616 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:26,680 Speaker 1: was weeping as he's watching his men just get plowed 617 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:28,920 Speaker 1: over by the British. And I mean, this is this 618 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:32,600 Speaker 1: is really difficult, really difficult time, and a really difficult 619 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:34,640 Speaker 1: time for for a lot of people, and a hard 620 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:38,000 Speaker 1: decision to make. And so um, I don't think we 621 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:41,520 Speaker 1: can ever say enough about these men who were willing 622 00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:43,479 Speaker 1: to you know, walk in knee deep snow at the 623 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:45,920 Speaker 1: at the at the Battle of Trenton to cross the 624 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:49,320 Speaker 1: Delaware River and all the things, all the deprivations and 625 00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:52,040 Speaker 1: Valley Forge and in the South where um, you know, 626 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:56,760 Speaker 1: you had and Charleston patriots executed by the British just 627 00:29:56,840 --> 00:29:59,880 Speaker 1: because they supported the cause. And I mean, this is 628 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:03,680 Speaker 1: this is really hard stuff. And so um, this was 629 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:06,600 Speaker 1: not something that these people took lightly and we should 630 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:09,000 Speaker 1: we should really celebrate them for this if we really 631 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:11,640 Speaker 1: valued independence. Do you think they would have won if 632 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:16,240 Speaker 1: France hadn't gotten involved. Probably not. Um. The French breaking 633 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:20,600 Speaker 1: the blockade and and of course sending in some reinforcements 634 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:24,440 Speaker 1: there in late in the war was certainly beneficial. Um. 635 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:27,040 Speaker 1: And you know, Yorktown would not have happened without the French. 636 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:30,440 Speaker 1: So UM, I don't think that there's any way the 637 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:32,880 Speaker 1: United States can win without it. And of course they 638 00:30:33,800 --> 00:30:36,160 Speaker 1: you know, they knew that. I think they knew that 639 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:39,360 Speaker 1: if they didn't get some type of international support, this 640 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:41,040 Speaker 1: war was going to be over and they were going 641 00:30:41,080 --> 00:30:43,600 Speaker 1: to lose. And all of these men who signed a declaration, 642 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:46,200 Speaker 1: We're going to go down as traders and we would 643 00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:48,600 Speaker 1: be looking in an entirely different situations and we wouldn't 644 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:51,600 Speaker 1: have a United States today. So um, the French were valuable. 645 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:52,920 Speaker 1: And of course what did they get out of it, 646 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:54,960 Speaker 1: Just a whole bunch of debt and in their own revolutions. 647 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:58,480 Speaker 1: So the byproduct for the French the after after matter, 648 00:30:58,560 --> 00:31:01,000 Speaker 1: the French was not what I think they wanted, but 649 00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:03,400 Speaker 1: of course it is what we wanted at the end 650 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:05,640 Speaker 1: of the day. Well, and obviously, you know we celebrate 651 00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:10,640 Speaker 1: Independence Day, we celebrate that Declaration of Independence. You know 652 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:14,320 Speaker 1: what is the significance of it from your perspective as 653 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:17,440 Speaker 1: a historian, Well, for me, it's the last paragraph. Um, 654 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:20,360 Speaker 1: everyone focuses on the second in the you know, the 655 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:22,400 Speaker 1: the align allmented, we hold these streets of be self evident, 656 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:24,240 Speaker 1: all mentor creative equal. But for me, it's the last 657 00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:27,680 Speaker 1: paragraph which declared that these were free and independent states, 658 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:30,200 Speaker 1: because that sets the basis for the entire structure of 659 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:33,160 Speaker 1: the American government from that point forward. You think about 660 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:35,520 Speaker 1: the Articles of Confederation where you had they said it 661 00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:37,240 Speaker 1: in the states were independent. Even when you get to 662 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 1: the Constitution, the way it was sold to the states was, 663 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:44,760 Speaker 1: we have a federal republic in these states still have powers, 664 00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:47,600 Speaker 1: all the powers not delegated to the center, and so 665 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:50,120 Speaker 1: we have this reserve powers idea that comes out of 666 00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:52,560 Speaker 1: the declaration. And you have to understand Jefferson and the 667 00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:56,000 Speaker 1: declaration called Great Britain a state, and so it was 668 00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:59,120 Speaker 1: a state of Great Britain, and you had thirteen independent states, 669 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:02,760 Speaker 1: and so each state um could do all the acts 670 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:05,000 Speaker 1: and things which independent states may have may have right do, 671 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:07,240 Speaker 1: he said it, And so you had thirteen countries that 672 00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:09,960 Speaker 1: were unified in their opposition of the British and would 673 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:13,000 Speaker 1: come together in a federal union that was basically and 674 00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:17,080 Speaker 1: modeled after what they were living under before. Right that 675 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:20,720 Speaker 1: the central authority could regulate commerce and defense, international commerce 676 00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:23,480 Speaker 1: and defense, and then with the constitution commerce between the states, 677 00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:25,840 Speaker 1: and that was it. I mean, everything else is left 678 00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:27,440 Speaker 1: to the states. All the things that we talked about 679 00:32:27,480 --> 00:32:30,360 Speaker 1: today that we wring our hands over are really state 680 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:32,920 Speaker 1: issues at the end of the day. And the problem 681 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:34,959 Speaker 1: is that we have people focus so much on the 682 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:37,920 Speaker 1: center and we need one size fits all government for everything. 683 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:40,960 Speaker 1: And that's again that's legislating for us in all cases whatsoever. 684 00:32:41,240 --> 00:32:43,200 Speaker 1: That's not what a founding generation would have wanted. So 685 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:46,240 Speaker 1: for me, it's that principle in that last paragraph that 686 00:32:46,320 --> 00:32:49,160 Speaker 1: really matters moving forward in American government. Do you think 687 00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:52,560 Speaker 1: that will happen naturally after COVID? I mean, for instance, 688 00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:55,160 Speaker 1: I left New York City because I wanted to live 689 00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:58,960 Speaker 1: freely as an American and moved to Florida for that 690 00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:01,280 Speaker 1: very purpose. And we've seen a lot of this migration 691 00:33:01,280 --> 00:33:03,680 Speaker 1: and read states are getting redder like Florida's officially a 692 00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:07,600 Speaker 1: red state. When you look at registered Republicans in the state, 693 00:33:07,720 --> 00:33:10,680 Speaker 1: do you think that separation is sort of under way 694 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:14,240 Speaker 1: in a way that it hasn't been recently. Yeah. Absolutely, 695 00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:16,240 Speaker 1: I think COVID did a lot to do that. Um, 696 00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:18,479 Speaker 1: people are you know? I have people listeners all the 697 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:21,160 Speaker 1: time on my show, um, because this is the theme 698 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:23,200 Speaker 1: of the show is think locally, act locally, right, instead 699 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:25,200 Speaker 1: of think globally like locally, you gotta think locally and 700 00:33:25,240 --> 00:33:28,200 Speaker 1: act locally. So, um, you can change your life at 701 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:30,600 Speaker 1: the local level. Um. And it's it's something that people 702 00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:33,120 Speaker 1: don't realize. And you look at protests of the Supreme 703 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:35,600 Speaker 1: Court now and if you whatever your position on those 704 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:37,760 Speaker 1: are and I know we're talking to conservatives, so it's 705 00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:40,400 Speaker 1: people would laugh at these protesters. But what kind of 706 00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:42,480 Speaker 1: impact do you think five ten people are going to 707 00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:44,280 Speaker 1: have in the Supreme Court steps? But if they went 708 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:47,720 Speaker 1: to their state capital, that would be larger impact. They 709 00:33:47,760 --> 00:33:50,280 Speaker 1: went to their if they went to their city council 710 00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:53,240 Speaker 1: would be a larger impact. And so when we start 711 00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:57,200 Speaker 1: talking about this idea of decentralization and how important Rhonda 712 00:33:57,280 --> 00:34:00,800 Speaker 1: Santis is for the future of Florida. H Um. I 713 00:34:00,840 --> 00:34:03,320 Speaker 1: think I hope he stay as governor of Florida. And 714 00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:05,480 Speaker 1: I know that people want to be president, But we 715 00:34:05,520 --> 00:34:08,480 Speaker 1: need fifty Rhonda Santansis. That's what we really need. Um. 716 00:34:08,480 --> 00:34:11,000 Speaker 1: And that would make it to where Joe Biden would 717 00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:14,160 Speaker 1: virtually be irrelevant. Um, if we had states that actually 718 00:34:14,200 --> 00:34:16,160 Speaker 1: stood up and said, you know what, you only have 719 00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:19,480 Speaker 1: these powers and we're not gonna let you have any others. 720 00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:22,400 Speaker 1: The government really doesn't have. The central government really have 721 00:34:22,440 --> 00:34:24,600 Speaker 1: the ability to enforce all the things that they do. 722 00:34:24,680 --> 00:34:27,480 Speaker 1: And people recognize that the nineteenth century is the idea 723 00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:30,240 Speaker 1: of non commondeering. They can pass all the legislation they want, 724 00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:32,640 Speaker 1: but they don't have the resources to enforce all this 725 00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:34,319 Speaker 1: stuff that states are going to have to do it. Also, 726 00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:37,439 Speaker 1: if the states say forget it, we're just not doing it, um, 727 00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:39,560 Speaker 1: it changes the whole ball game. And so I think 728 00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:42,120 Speaker 1: people are waking up to this, you know. Um. And 729 00:34:42,160 --> 00:34:45,000 Speaker 1: with the mask mandates and all these other things that 730 00:34:45,040 --> 00:34:47,520 Speaker 1: happened during COVID and the governors saying we're just not 731 00:34:47,560 --> 00:34:49,319 Speaker 1: we're gonna keep our state open. We're just not going 732 00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:51,879 Speaker 1: to do those things. You can have whatever you want 733 00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:54,520 Speaker 1: in California. You can have whatever you want in Massachusetts 734 00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:56,560 Speaker 1: or New York, but we're gonna do what we want 735 00:34:56,600 --> 00:34:59,839 Speaker 1: to do in Florida or Alabama or Montana, wherever it was. 736 00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:02,799 Speaker 1: We're going to take things differently. And so again that 737 00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:07,440 Speaker 1: spirit of this resistance to unconstitutional government, I think is 738 00:35:07,440 --> 00:35:09,920 Speaker 1: starting to manifest itself a little better, and people are 739 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:12,160 Speaker 1: voting with their feet, as you said, you into different states. 740 00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:16,680 Speaker 1: Quick break more of the Founding Generation on the other side. 741 00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:23,120 Speaker 1: Fast forward to the Constitution so ratified in seventeen eight. 742 00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:26,840 Speaker 1: In operations since seventeen nine, Democrats like to say we 743 00:35:26,880 --> 00:35:30,799 Speaker 1: have a democracy. Republicans say we have a constitutional republic. 744 00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:34,400 Speaker 1: Why does that distinction matter? And sort of what do 745 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:36,880 Speaker 1: you make of that debate that is always happening in 746 00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:39,320 Speaker 1: our country. Well, I mean the term democracy is a 747 00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:41,799 Speaker 1: loaded term. What kind of democracy? Do we have a 748 00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:44,440 Speaker 1: representative democracy? Do we have a direct democracy? I mean, 749 00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:46,760 Speaker 1: what do we really have? The Funding generation was committed 750 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:50,040 Speaker 1: to democracy, but it was always with a with a 751 00:35:50,160 --> 00:35:54,680 Speaker 1: check right. They didn't really trust mass popular democracy because 752 00:35:54,680 --> 00:35:57,479 Speaker 1: they didn't think that people had enough information or were 753 00:35:57,480 --> 00:36:00,319 Speaker 1: well educated enough to make these decisions. Oftentimes, that's why 754 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:03,760 Speaker 1: you see in the Constitution itself, there's only one really 755 00:36:03,880 --> 00:36:06,680 Speaker 1: democratic part of the constitution, and that is the House 756 00:36:06,719 --> 00:36:10,319 Speaker 1: of Representatives. Otherwise, this the Senate was designed to be 757 00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:12,799 Speaker 1: the state check on the entire system. The states chose 758 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:16,160 Speaker 1: the senators and of course through the legislatures themselves, but 759 00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:18,400 Speaker 1: the states did that originally. And then of course the 760 00:36:18,400 --> 00:36:20,959 Speaker 1: president is elected by the electoral college, not direct vote. 761 00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:24,000 Speaker 1: You've got the federal court system, which is all appointed. 762 00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:27,000 Speaker 1: So there's a whole lot of anti democratic stuff in 763 00:36:27,040 --> 00:36:30,840 Speaker 1: the constitution because they just didn't really believe that majoritarian 764 00:36:30,920 --> 00:36:32,959 Speaker 1: rule is always the best thing, and they even said 765 00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:36,080 Speaker 1: it um. After the Constitution was was written and it 766 00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:38,120 Speaker 1: was going to ratification, there was a lot of discussion 767 00:36:38,160 --> 00:36:40,480 Speaker 1: about democracy and how this was going to be a 768 00:36:40,760 --> 00:36:44,840 Speaker 1: check on rampant democracy. They thought democracy was ruining the States. 769 00:36:45,239 --> 00:36:47,520 Speaker 1: They thought it was the the bane of good government. 770 00:36:47,640 --> 00:36:50,440 Speaker 1: So these distinctions to make you know, we don't have 771 00:36:50,520 --> 00:36:53,680 Speaker 1: a we don't have a a democracy. But I think 772 00:36:53,680 --> 00:36:57,400 Speaker 1: the best term is a federal republic with with representative government, 773 00:36:57,440 --> 00:37:00,360 Speaker 1: not direct democracy. So um, and there were others that 774 00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:03,000 Speaker 1: were concerned about what majoritarian rule could do. Right if 775 00:37:03,040 --> 00:37:05,279 Speaker 1: it's fifty people. You know, a hundred people or a 776 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:07,719 Speaker 1: hundred and one people, and fifty one people get to 777 00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:09,759 Speaker 1: rule the other fifty. Is that really good government? Or 778 00:37:09,800 --> 00:37:12,440 Speaker 1: is that that tyranny? I mean because those fifty people 779 00:37:12,440 --> 00:37:15,399 Speaker 1: can be abused by fifty one people. And that's I mean, 780 00:37:15,520 --> 00:37:18,040 Speaker 1: we don't really think about these things nowadays, but certainly 781 00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:21,040 Speaker 1: they did. They understood that, Um, you could have a 782 00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:23,680 Speaker 1: bad government even with democracy, and so you had to 783 00:37:23,680 --> 00:37:25,560 Speaker 1: have some checks on that, which is why we have 784 00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:28,879 Speaker 1: things like the electoral college. Exactly right, I mean it's 785 00:37:29,160 --> 00:37:31,879 Speaker 1: the electoral college kept the states in the system. Um, 786 00:37:31,960 --> 00:37:35,840 Speaker 1: it allowed for another layer from the popular vote. We 787 00:37:35,840 --> 00:37:39,200 Speaker 1: didn't count count the popular vote until until the eighteen twenties, right, 788 00:37:39,200 --> 00:37:41,200 Speaker 1: I mean, no, we even knew what it was. It 789 00:37:41,239 --> 00:37:44,480 Speaker 1: didn't matter. It only mattered what the electoral College voted. 790 00:37:44,680 --> 00:37:48,239 Speaker 1: And um, that was certainly there to ensure that there 791 00:37:48,320 --> 00:37:52,120 Speaker 1: was some more educated person, so to speak, making a 792 00:37:52,160 --> 00:37:54,400 Speaker 1: decision about who is going to be president United States. 793 00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:57,759 Speaker 1: And but if the presidency was actually here to that 794 00:37:57,800 --> 00:38:00,000 Speaker 1: the way it was actually designed, the president would almost 795 00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:03,680 Speaker 1: be irrelevant here for foreign policy, Uh, to receive ambassadors, 796 00:38:03,719 --> 00:38:07,040 Speaker 1: to make appointments, to make recommendations, but Congress had all 797 00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:10,319 Speaker 1: the power, and UM, that's something that we Congress wants 798 00:38:10,360 --> 00:38:13,040 Speaker 1: to hide. Today we have executive government because Congress allows 799 00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:15,720 Speaker 1: it to happen. Um. So you need to be talking 800 00:38:15,719 --> 00:38:18,560 Speaker 1: about Congress and what Congress needs to do and take 801 00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:21,279 Speaker 1: their own power back from the executive. Um. It's very 802 00:38:21,320 --> 00:38:23,799 Speaker 1: difficult to do, but UM, it's something that I think 803 00:38:23,800 --> 00:38:25,440 Speaker 1: needs to be done in the future. Moving forward. Now 804 00:38:25,480 --> 00:38:27,640 Speaker 1: that that makes a ton of sense. You know, we're 805 00:38:27,640 --> 00:38:30,720 Speaker 1: talking about the founding generation and we've sort of touched 806 00:38:30,760 --> 00:38:33,399 Speaker 1: on it throughout the conversation, but just get into how 807 00:38:33,480 --> 00:38:37,719 Speaker 1: far are we today from what America was supposed to be. 808 00:38:38,600 --> 00:38:41,799 Speaker 1: I think almost on n eighty degrees when you look 809 00:38:41,800 --> 00:38:45,239 Speaker 1: at nine when the U. S. Congress meets for the 810 00:38:45,239 --> 00:38:47,960 Speaker 1: first time and we have the Constitution and the way 811 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:49,680 Speaker 1: that was sold to the states. I used that term 812 00:38:49,719 --> 00:38:51,719 Speaker 1: because you know, it was a ratification process where they 813 00:38:51,719 --> 00:38:54,040 Speaker 1: actually had to sell this thing. We had this new constitution. 814 00:38:54,560 --> 00:38:56,600 Speaker 1: Not everyone was on board where we're gonna do, how 815 00:38:56,640 --> 00:38:58,360 Speaker 1: is this thing going to work? And the opponents of 816 00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:01,000 Speaker 1: the document we're talking about, We're going to have a 817 00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:03,279 Speaker 1: government that was going to be oppressive. It was going 818 00:39:03,320 --> 00:39:05,520 Speaker 1: to abuse the states. It was going to do all 819 00:39:05,600 --> 00:39:08,479 Speaker 1: kinds of one of legal what ultimately would be illegal things, 820 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:11,880 Speaker 1: and the those who supported the proponents of the document insisted, no, 821 00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:13,799 Speaker 1: it won't this. Look and only you can only do 822 00:39:13,880 --> 00:39:16,040 Speaker 1: these things and then everything else is left to the state. 823 00:39:16,120 --> 00:39:19,440 Speaker 1: So if you just take that ratification process and then 824 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:22,040 Speaker 1: look at where we are and everything is centralized, everything 825 00:39:22,160 --> 00:39:25,320 Speaker 1: is Washington, d C. Everything, all the things the general 826 00:39:25,320 --> 00:39:29,359 Speaker 1: government does that are completely unconstitutional, um, I think they 827 00:39:29,360 --> 00:39:32,600 Speaker 1: would be the the opponents would feel like they're vindicated, 828 00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:35,879 Speaker 1: Well we told you so, and the proponents would have 829 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:38,839 Speaker 1: you know, egg on their face because this is not 830 00:39:38,960 --> 00:39:43,600 Speaker 1: the constitution that they sold during the ratification process, but 831 00:39:43,680 --> 00:39:45,680 Speaker 1: it's what we ultimately got. And so I think that 832 00:39:45,719 --> 00:39:49,600 Speaker 1: the so called anti federalists were opprescient and what was 833 00:39:49,600 --> 00:39:52,760 Speaker 1: going to happen. And I mean, we are not anywhere 834 00:39:52,840 --> 00:39:55,120 Speaker 1: near what what was sold to the states in seventeen 835 00:39:55,120 --> 00:39:57,799 Speaker 1: eighty seven and seventeen. Well, I think one thing that 836 00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:00,480 Speaker 1: the Trump administration really opened at. I mean, I guess 837 00:40:00,520 --> 00:40:02,279 Speaker 1: we saw it a little bit during the Obama administration 838 00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:04,560 Speaker 1: with like the I R S targeting conservatives and things 839 00:40:04,560 --> 00:40:06,600 Speaker 1: of that nature or just like spying on the Senate 840 00:40:06,640 --> 00:40:08,840 Speaker 1: Intel Committee and reporters and the things like that. But 841 00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:11,239 Speaker 1: we really saw it come to ahead during the Trump 842 00:40:11,280 --> 00:40:14,400 Speaker 1: administration sort of this administrative state, at this deep state, 843 00:40:14,800 --> 00:40:18,320 Speaker 1: these bureaucrats sort of subverting the will of the American people. 844 00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:22,600 Speaker 1: How do you scale back government at this point? Is 845 00:40:22,640 --> 00:40:25,000 Speaker 1: it is it too late when you look at something 846 00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:27,120 Speaker 1: like that, Well, I mean the set, I don't think 847 00:40:27,120 --> 00:40:30,480 Speaker 1: you can reform Washington d C. But again there's certainly 848 00:40:30,520 --> 00:40:32,719 Speaker 1: cracks and what it can do. And you can even 849 00:40:32,719 --> 00:40:34,839 Speaker 1: look at things that the left does, for example, UM 850 00:40:34,880 --> 00:40:37,320 Speaker 1: sanctuary cities, which is something that you know, when you 851 00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:40,359 Speaker 1: talk about immigration, a lot of these sanctuary city laws 852 00:40:40,360 --> 00:40:42,960 Speaker 1: written in the nineteen eighties, and it was, you know 853 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:45,400 Speaker 1: what we're gonna do here. We're not going to enforce 854 00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:49,200 Speaker 1: um the federal government coming in and rounding up aliens. 855 00:40:50,320 --> 00:40:51,920 Speaker 1: They can come and all they want and do it, 856 00:40:51,960 --> 00:40:53,960 Speaker 1: but we're just not going to use state resources or 857 00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:55,960 Speaker 1: local resources to do it. And you know what happened. 858 00:40:56,000 --> 00:40:58,400 Speaker 1: They didn't have the resources that go do it, and 859 00:40:58,480 --> 00:41:00,440 Speaker 1: so they just the state just said we're just not 860 00:41:00,480 --> 00:41:02,440 Speaker 1: going to do these things. And I think that is 861 00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:05,600 Speaker 1: the key moving forward, we have to think about bottom up, 862 00:41:05,640 --> 00:41:09,200 Speaker 1: not top down. Washington is lost. It doesn't matter if 863 00:41:09,239 --> 00:41:11,920 Speaker 1: we elect Rhonda Santis or Donald Trump or take your 864 00:41:11,920 --> 00:41:15,239 Speaker 1: pick of Republican. Um, it doesn't matter if the Republicans 865 00:41:15,280 --> 00:41:18,719 Speaker 1: control Congress, because we know that they don't overdo. I mean, look, 866 00:41:18,760 --> 00:41:21,759 Speaker 1: they're they're they're impotent oftentimes, and what they even they 867 00:41:21,760 --> 00:41:23,520 Speaker 1: don't follow through on anything they say they're going to 868 00:41:23,600 --> 00:41:27,160 Speaker 1: do most of the time. So, UM, reforming Washington d 869 00:41:27,200 --> 00:41:30,280 Speaker 1: C is lost. But you can look at Rhonda Santis 870 00:41:30,280 --> 00:41:32,319 Speaker 1: and everything. I mean, if you're in Florida right now, 871 00:41:32,360 --> 00:41:35,640 Speaker 1: what you say, you're in Florida, Um, he's doing amazing 872 00:41:35,680 --> 00:41:39,880 Speaker 1: things there and pushing back against the the the cancel 873 00:41:39,960 --> 00:41:42,879 Speaker 1: culture and in the culture war and everything else. It's 874 00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:46,080 Speaker 1: amazing what Rhonda Santis is doing. And so that is 875 00:41:46,120 --> 00:41:48,680 Speaker 1: the key moving forward. I think if we want to 876 00:41:48,719 --> 00:41:51,160 Speaker 1: take things back in America, if we want to make 877 00:41:51,200 --> 00:41:53,359 Speaker 1: America great again, it has to come from the bottom up. 878 00:41:53,560 --> 00:41:55,439 Speaker 1: That's the only way it's going to happen. And the 879 00:41:55,560 --> 00:41:57,279 Speaker 1: States have all the authority and all the power to 880 00:41:57,320 --> 00:41:59,120 Speaker 1: do it. It's just a matter if they're willing to 881 00:41:59,160 --> 00:42:01,720 Speaker 1: do it well. And your point about government or de santis. 882 00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:04,040 Speaker 1: I mean, it's not only our own government, like in 883 00:42:04,200 --> 00:42:05,880 Speaker 1: people within it trying to subvert the will of the 884 00:42:05,920 --> 00:42:09,160 Speaker 1: American people. We also know have corporations that have come 885 00:42:09,160 --> 00:42:12,560 Speaker 1: to the party or are sort of aligning themselves with 886 00:42:12,719 --> 00:42:15,920 Speaker 1: d C and enforcing their will on you know, Americans 887 00:42:15,960 --> 00:42:18,360 Speaker 1: and enforcing like the government's will on Americans. You know, 888 00:42:18,400 --> 00:42:20,359 Speaker 1: how do you sort of what's your your take on that? 889 00:42:20,480 --> 00:42:23,600 Speaker 1: Like we saw the recent fight with Disney and and 890 00:42:23,600 --> 00:42:25,480 Speaker 1: and things of that nature, big tech, you know, all 891 00:42:25,480 --> 00:42:27,839 Speaker 1: these different things. Well, again, I think the states can 892 00:42:27,880 --> 00:42:29,920 Speaker 1: regulate that kind of thing. You know, the SANTIS is 893 00:42:29,960 --> 00:42:32,040 Speaker 1: going after Disney. Well, okay, if you want all these 894 00:42:32,440 --> 00:42:34,640 Speaker 1: state kickbacks, well you gonna have to do you have 895 00:42:34,680 --> 00:42:37,160 Speaker 1: to tow the line. And corporations that the idea of 896 00:42:37,160 --> 00:42:39,480 Speaker 1: a corporate person I mean that corporate personhood is the 897 00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:42,160 Speaker 1: problem there. But the other thing average Americans can do, 898 00:42:42,200 --> 00:42:44,640 Speaker 1: of course, if you don't like what Coca Cola or 899 00:42:44,719 --> 00:42:47,400 Speaker 1: Disney or you know, the NFL, or would take your 900 00:42:47,440 --> 00:42:49,279 Speaker 1: pick of some corporation you don't like we're doing, or 901 00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:51,719 Speaker 1: just stop buying their products. This is exactly what the 902 00:42:51,880 --> 00:42:54,120 Speaker 1: founding generation. They were just going to boycott your stuff, 903 00:42:54,239 --> 00:42:57,799 Speaker 1: and the left does is pretty effectively at times. Conservatives 904 00:42:57,840 --> 00:43:00,000 Speaker 1: tend not to follow through. Would they get ticked off 905 00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:01,440 Speaker 1: a little while and then they just keep doing what 906 00:43:01,480 --> 00:43:05,440 Speaker 1: they're doing. Um, but that that economic muscle, I think 907 00:43:05,560 --> 00:43:07,440 Speaker 1: is something that needs to needs to be said and 908 00:43:08,760 --> 00:43:10,200 Speaker 1: it needs to be done. And we saw it with 909 00:43:10,400 --> 00:43:12,920 Speaker 1: with Disney here in this new movie, the light Year movie. 910 00:43:12,960 --> 00:43:15,439 Speaker 1: Apparently it bombed the box office because people said, we're 911 00:43:15,440 --> 00:43:17,400 Speaker 1: just not going to tolerate this, and we're not going 912 00:43:17,440 --> 00:43:19,120 Speaker 1: to bring our kids to this. It's not something we 913 00:43:19,160 --> 00:43:23,160 Speaker 1: want to do. So there is a pushback that can 914 00:43:23,239 --> 00:43:26,160 Speaker 1: happen with finances if you really want to. And then 915 00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:28,560 Speaker 1: of course also the states getting involved and saying, if 916 00:43:28,600 --> 00:43:30,960 Speaker 1: you want to incorporate in our state, then you're not 917 00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:33,040 Speaker 1: going to do X, Y and Z. And I think 918 00:43:33,080 --> 00:43:35,640 Speaker 1: that's also a key to reigning in some of these 919 00:43:35,680 --> 00:43:38,520 Speaker 1: corporations as well. You know, obviously there's a conversation happening 920 00:43:38,520 --> 00:43:40,799 Speaker 1: in the country right now about the Second Amendment. What's 921 00:43:40,840 --> 00:43:43,680 Speaker 1: the role of the Second Amendment or amendment in our lives. 922 00:43:43,719 --> 00:43:45,480 Speaker 1: A lot of dispute about what the meaning of the 923 00:43:45,480 --> 00:43:49,960 Speaker 1: Second Amendment was, what the purpose was from a historical perspective, 924 00:43:50,360 --> 00:43:52,560 Speaker 1: what was the purpose of the Second Amendment and does 925 00:43:52,600 --> 00:43:54,720 Speaker 1: that still hold true today? Well, of course, the purpose 926 00:43:54,719 --> 00:43:56,720 Speaker 1: of the Second Amendment was to ensure that the United 927 00:43:56,719 --> 00:43:59,759 Speaker 1: States had a militia, right, I mean, and so I 928 00:43:59,840 --> 00:44:02,320 Speaker 1: mean you think about the Constitution. It says very clearly 929 00:44:02,360 --> 00:44:05,800 Speaker 1: in the Constitution, the without the Second Amendment, that the 930 00:44:05,800 --> 00:44:08,239 Speaker 1: central government can arm the militia. Well, of course, the 931 00:44:08,239 --> 00:44:10,120 Speaker 1: theory was that they could arm the militia, then they 932 00:44:10,120 --> 00:44:12,399 Speaker 1: could disarm the militia. And the militia was every able 933 00:44:12,400 --> 00:44:16,040 Speaker 1: bodied citizen between eighteen and forty five. And so when 934 00:44:16,120 --> 00:44:18,600 Speaker 1: the when there was discussion of a Bill of rights, 935 00:44:18,640 --> 00:44:20,560 Speaker 1: it was okay, well, look if they we need to 936 00:44:20,680 --> 00:44:24,399 Speaker 1: ensure that they can't disarm us and make us impotent. Uh, 937 00:44:24,440 --> 00:44:27,319 Speaker 1: And so that the the the state can come in 938 00:44:27,440 --> 00:44:29,759 Speaker 1: or the central authority can come in and simply run 939 00:44:29,880 --> 00:44:33,560 Speaker 1: rough shot over us. So, um, the states controlled the militia, 940 00:44:33,560 --> 00:44:37,360 Speaker 1: and of course the state's controlled the essentially the arming 941 00:44:37,360 --> 00:44:39,680 Speaker 1: of citizens. And so now it's interesting about that when 942 00:44:39,680 --> 00:44:42,640 Speaker 1: the and the First Congress met, they actually passed the 943 00:44:42,640 --> 00:44:46,319 Speaker 1: militia Law that established the fact that every male had 944 00:44:46,360 --> 00:44:48,040 Speaker 1: to be armed. They had to have a certain had 945 00:44:48,000 --> 00:44:49,680 Speaker 1: to have a firearm. They had a certain amount of powder, 946 00:44:49,719 --> 00:44:51,720 Speaker 1: a certain amount of ammunition. So they could arm the militia, 947 00:44:51,719 --> 00:44:54,200 Speaker 1: but they could not disarm them. And so the Second 948 00:44:54,200 --> 00:44:57,680 Speaker 1: Amendment is vital to our understanding of of you know 949 00:44:57,840 --> 00:45:00,919 Speaker 1: what what an armed civilian population and is therefore which 950 00:45:00,960 --> 00:45:04,960 Speaker 1: is to prevent centralized tyranny. And um, I think there's 951 00:45:05,000 --> 00:45:07,759 Speaker 1: there's no other way around it. Um, certainly, states can 952 00:45:07,760 --> 00:45:09,840 Speaker 1: do more than the central government can. But I've always 953 00:45:09,840 --> 00:45:13,360 Speaker 1: maintained any gun control legisation, legislation from the central authority 954 00:45:13,400 --> 00:45:16,239 Speaker 1: is illegal the states. There's a lot more wiggle room there, 955 00:45:16,400 --> 00:45:19,560 Speaker 1: depending on the state constitutions. But um, certainly this is 956 00:45:19,600 --> 00:45:22,839 Speaker 1: something that the leftist politicized again looking at things from 957 00:45:22,840 --> 00:45:26,399 Speaker 1: present status instead of thinking about it, um, the way 958 00:45:26,400 --> 00:45:29,120 Speaker 1: that it's just the natural right to self defense. Well, 959 00:45:29,160 --> 00:45:32,160 Speaker 1: and you mean the Battle of Lexigen Concord didn't mean 960 00:45:32,200 --> 00:45:34,560 Speaker 1: they were coming for guns exactly right. I mean that's 961 00:45:34,640 --> 00:45:37,640 Speaker 1: they were. They were trying to disarm the militia, and 962 00:45:37,160 --> 00:45:41,440 Speaker 1: that was that was what was happening in seventeen seventy five. So, um, 963 00:45:41,640 --> 00:45:44,960 Speaker 1: they were, they had a central armory there, and but 964 00:45:45,080 --> 00:45:46,840 Speaker 1: that was the idea me, you have those in the 965 00:45:46,880 --> 00:45:49,920 Speaker 1: United States Stadium National Guard armory. So imagine the U. S. 966 00:45:49,960 --> 00:45:51,800 Speaker 1: Government coming in and saying we're gonna take this away 967 00:45:51,840 --> 00:45:54,800 Speaker 1: from you. Um. And of course the National Guard is 968 00:45:54,840 --> 00:45:57,560 Speaker 1: a whole another monster and what that means changing the 969 00:45:57,600 --> 00:46:00,359 Speaker 1: nature of the militia there. But um, this is what 970 00:46:00,400 --> 00:46:02,360 Speaker 1: was happening in the seventy five. So the idea was, 971 00:46:02,360 --> 00:46:04,040 Speaker 1: we're going to disarm you and we're gonna take away 972 00:46:04,040 --> 00:46:08,040 Speaker 1: your firearms so you cannot resist any of our unconstitutional laws. 973 00:46:08,120 --> 00:46:09,719 Speaker 1: And I think at the end of the day, that's 974 00:46:09,760 --> 00:46:12,440 Speaker 1: something we have to recognize and realize was one of 975 00:46:12,520 --> 00:46:15,120 Speaker 1: the main parts of this American War for independence. Well, 976 00:46:15,239 --> 00:46:17,680 Speaker 1: and I think that's really important about this conversation with 977 00:46:17,719 --> 00:46:19,960 Speaker 1: you is I think, look, I was a little bit 978 00:46:20,040 --> 00:46:22,200 Speaker 1: naive before COVID to be I mean, I always saw 979 00:46:22,360 --> 00:46:24,359 Speaker 1: that the government was a bad actor. You know, we've 980 00:46:24,360 --> 00:46:26,879 Speaker 1: seen numerous examples and the government's pretty much always liede 981 00:46:26,880 --> 00:46:30,000 Speaker 1: to us our entire lives. But I think for whatever reason, 982 00:46:30,080 --> 00:46:32,640 Speaker 1: I still was naive to the fact that tyranny could 983 00:46:34,200 --> 00:46:36,880 Speaker 1: get reborn here in America, right, Like we're somewhat immune 984 00:46:36,920 --> 00:46:39,480 Speaker 1: to tyranny, despite you know Reagan and beautiful quotes that 985 00:46:39,520 --> 00:46:43,240 Speaker 1: he's made about freedom being one generation away from extinction. Uh, 986 00:46:43,239 --> 00:46:47,359 Speaker 1: and COVID just really opened my eyes and I think 987 00:46:47,400 --> 00:46:49,400 Speaker 1: it opened a lot of people's eyes to the fact 988 00:46:49,440 --> 00:46:51,919 Speaker 1: that like, tyranny is here, the threat is real, and 989 00:46:52,000 --> 00:46:54,640 Speaker 1: you know, we have to fight for liberty in America. Absolutely. 990 00:46:54,719 --> 00:46:56,239 Speaker 1: And I think if you look at that when this 991 00:46:56,280 --> 00:46:58,680 Speaker 1: process really began was in the middle of the twentieth 992 00:46:58,680 --> 00:47:02,960 Speaker 1: century and UM, basically the Truman administration and we we 993 00:47:03,080 --> 00:47:05,719 Speaker 1: created this this deep state that we have, and at 994 00:47:05,719 --> 00:47:08,840 Speaker 1: the end of World War Two, we we didn't demobilize. 995 00:47:08,920 --> 00:47:11,160 Speaker 1: We we just kept all the programs in place and 996 00:47:11,239 --> 00:47:13,239 Speaker 1: the New Deal and then also everything that was used 997 00:47:13,280 --> 00:47:16,760 Speaker 1: to fight the war, and we've just kept that in place, 998 00:47:17,080 --> 00:47:19,759 Speaker 1: and all of that deep state apparatus and creation of 999 00:47:19,840 --> 00:47:23,200 Speaker 1: the politicized ci A and a militarized CIA and the 1000 00:47:23,239 --> 00:47:26,279 Speaker 1: FBI and everything that happens there. UM, all of that 1001 00:47:26,520 --> 00:47:30,399 Speaker 1: is a byproduct of extreme centralization during World War Two 1002 00:47:31,000 --> 00:47:34,200 Speaker 1: and it's always been there. It's just that people um 1003 00:47:34,400 --> 00:47:36,920 Speaker 1: haven't really recognized that they've lived their lives and they 1004 00:47:36,960 --> 00:47:39,400 Speaker 1: just think, as you know, the FBI just hurts everybody 1005 00:47:39,400 --> 00:47:41,760 Speaker 1: else so the CIA hurts everybody else, or the central 1006 00:47:41,760 --> 00:47:44,840 Speaker 1: government hurts everybody else, but not me. But now with COVID, 1007 00:47:44,880 --> 00:47:46,560 Speaker 1: they saw well, I mean, if they can do these 1008 00:47:46,560 --> 00:47:48,439 Speaker 1: things that these people, they can do it to us too. 1009 00:47:48,480 --> 00:47:51,680 Speaker 1: And so I think that's really where where this this uh, 1010 00:47:51,719 --> 00:47:54,719 Speaker 1: this deep state apparatus was in place, and and uh 1011 00:47:54,800 --> 00:47:57,399 Speaker 1: it was there just to use uh and we saw 1012 00:47:57,400 --> 00:48:01,239 Speaker 1: it during D Mean, I could honestly talk to you 1013 00:48:01,239 --> 00:48:03,680 Speaker 1: for hours. This is one of the more fascinating conversations 1014 00:48:04,239 --> 00:48:06,239 Speaker 1: I've had. But you know, in the interests of time, 1015 00:48:06,840 --> 00:48:08,560 Speaker 1: is there anything else you'd like to leave us with 1016 00:48:08,719 --> 00:48:11,080 Speaker 1: before we go? Well, again, I think it's important to 1017 00:48:11,120 --> 00:48:14,640 Speaker 1: understand that the Founding generation was committed to independence, committed 1018 00:48:14,680 --> 00:48:17,680 Speaker 1: to decentralization, they were committed to local government, and they 1019 00:48:17,680 --> 00:48:20,080 Speaker 1: were committed to running their own lives. And if we 1020 00:48:20,160 --> 00:48:21,960 Speaker 1: can do any if we can live in any way 1021 00:48:21,960 --> 00:48:24,880 Speaker 1: like the Founding Generation, it would be that that think locally, 1022 00:48:24,920 --> 00:48:27,439 Speaker 1: act locally. Idea. Make sure you're going to your city 1023 00:48:27,440 --> 00:48:29,640 Speaker 1: council meetings, make sure you're you're paying attention to your 1024 00:48:29,640 --> 00:48:32,680 Speaker 1: state legislatures, make sure you're paying attention to your governors. 1025 00:48:33,120 --> 00:48:35,880 Speaker 1: That's more important than anything else, vote in those local elections, 1026 00:48:35,920 --> 00:48:38,640 Speaker 1: get people in those local elections, and then you're we've 1027 00:48:38,680 --> 00:48:41,960 Speaker 1: seen you Texas gop uh their platform, it's it's now 1028 00:48:42,080 --> 00:48:45,600 Speaker 1: national news because they're they're thinking about decentralization. They're thinking 1029 00:48:45,600 --> 00:48:48,080 Speaker 1: about what can the local do to ensure that we 1030 00:48:48,160 --> 00:48:51,560 Speaker 1: have the liberties and freedoms we want the state of Texas. So, um, 1031 00:48:51,920 --> 00:48:55,000 Speaker 1: this is important. It's you just don't focus on Donald 1032 00:48:55,000 --> 00:48:58,160 Speaker 1: Trump or Joe Biden or whoever is in Congress. Think 1033 00:48:58,200 --> 00:49:00,200 Speaker 1: about these people at the state and local level, and 1034 00:49:00,280 --> 00:49:02,840 Speaker 1: get people on in office there. You do it yourself 1035 00:49:03,200 --> 00:49:06,120 Speaker 1: that want to are committed and want to pursue these 1036 00:49:06,160 --> 00:49:08,759 Speaker 1: ideas of independence and decentralization. That at the end of 1037 00:49:08,760 --> 00:49:10,560 Speaker 1: the day is what we can take away from the 1038 00:49:10,560 --> 00:49:13,279 Speaker 1: founding generation. Where can people find your work? You can 1039 00:49:13,280 --> 00:49:15,440 Speaker 1: go to Brian mccleaninghand dot com is b r I 1040 00:49:15,560 --> 00:49:18,359 Speaker 1: O N. Mccleaninghand dot com um, and you can find 1041 00:49:18,360 --> 00:49:20,799 Speaker 1: everything that I do there, my podcast, my academy, all 1042 00:49:20,800 --> 00:49:22,920 Speaker 1: the stuff that I do. So it's I appreciate any 1043 00:49:22,920 --> 00:49:24,359 Speaker 1: of your listeners going out there and checking me out. 1044 00:49:24,400 --> 00:49:26,440 Speaker 1: Thank you, Sorry, I appreciate time. This has been fascinating 1045 00:49:26,560 --> 00:49:28,600 Speaker 1: and I think a really important conversation, so I really 1046 00:49:28,600 --> 00:49:30,280 Speaker 1: appreciate it. Well, thank you for having me. I appreciate 1047 00:49:40,560 --> 00:49:43,760 Speaker 1: so that was awesome. I hope you guys at home 1048 00:49:44,160 --> 00:49:47,960 Speaker 1: listen to that about the importance of independence, the importance 1049 00:49:48,040 --> 00:49:51,480 Speaker 1: of liberty, what our founding generation believes, and why we 1050 00:49:51,480 --> 00:49:56,040 Speaker 1: should still care about those principles today as we celebrate 1051 00:49:56,080 --> 00:49:58,400 Speaker 1: Independence Day, as we go out and spend time with 1052 00:49:58,480 --> 00:50:02,160 Speaker 1: friends and family. Liberty is the most important and if 1053 00:50:02,200 --> 00:50:04,839 Speaker 1: we lose it, we lose our country. So I really 1054 00:50:04,880 --> 00:50:07,400 Speaker 1: appreciated his time. I thought it was an amazing guest. 1055 00:50:07,440 --> 00:50:09,160 Speaker 1: Definitely we'll have him back on the show for sure. 1056 00:50:09,320 --> 00:50:11,680 Speaker 1: You guys should go check out his work. And thank 1057 00:50:11,680 --> 00:50:14,240 Speaker 1: you all for for listening at home. I really appreciate 1058 00:50:14,239 --> 00:50:16,320 Speaker 1: you tuning in every Monday and Thursday to this show. 1059 00:50:16,800 --> 00:50:19,640 Speaker 1: Also want to make my teammate, my producer, John Cassio, 1060 00:50:19,719 --> 00:50:21,839 Speaker 1: for working so hard to bring this show to you, 1061 00:50:22,520 --> 00:50:24,680 Speaker 1: uh and for us, So thanks so much for listening. Guys. 1062 00:50:24,840 --> 00:50:28,320 Speaker 1: Happy fourth of July, Happy Independence Day.