Independence Day

U.S. Independence Day

4th of July

The Founding Fathers of the United States of America developed the principles of our great country as a part of an experiment in consciousness; they supported and encouraged an energetic movement in consciousness referred to by esoteric and wisdom practitioners as the “overall plan of evolution.”

Prior to Thomas Jefferson penning the immortal words “We hold these truths to be self-evident”, the truths espoused in the Declaration of Independence were anything but self-evident in the history of mankind in governance. Most of our Founding Fathers were influenced by the thoughts and writing of what is known in the development of thought and consciousness as “The Age of Enlightenment.”

Often I have pondered on the convergence that occurred in the development of mankind that brought into incarnation such an amazing group of thinkers who emerged at the time of the American Revolution. This movement, forward in consciousness, was spearheaded by not only one great thinker or philosopher but rather a group of like-minded men who were not only brilliant but who understood the lessons of the history of human development and the foibles of individuals. Their willingness to incorporate the fragility of the individual and to understand the dangers of too much power in the hands of too few is seen throughout their dialog and debates.

From the wit and the wisdom of Benjamin Franklin to the poetic idealism of Thomas Jefferson and the profound pondering and thinking of John Adams these were men who were aware of the way the world worked and they worked to build in safeguards to protect this amazing republic they were crafting. They knew well the dangers of greed and human nature. As students of history they worked tirelessly to create a structure of government that was wise and compassionate. Wherever possible they tried to build in safeguards, checks, and balances.

They knew that this Republic they were forming was unprecedented in the long history of humanity. They knew the importance of these principles, these truths that they were willing to risk their lives to bring into being. They understood that a government contained would grant unprecedented potential to future generations.

History tells us these men were willing to debate and negotiate tirelessly often far from the comfort and support of their families and loved ones until they had, through dialog and debate, chosen just the right word.

They understood the power in a word and the power of intention and the ways that thoughts have power. They worked on and on, finding points of compromise that did not compromise their principles. They constantly held themselves to a higher standard realizing this work in which they were engaged, this sacred task of providing governance, took sacrifice and honor, and they held themselves to that standard.

They certainly did not always agree, but they worked together until they found a point of agreement that did not violate their beliefs for the sake of expediency. They examined the decisions that they made in the light of an understanding that the best of intentions could have unintended consequences that could be disastrous to the life and integrity of what they were creating.

If we read the letters of the times we see the struggles of these men to work together in spite of vast differences in backgrounds, economy, and values. One theme that emerges in their writings as a constant value was their belief in the importance of honor and a sacred duty to those they gathered to represent in the present and as best they could project the implications for the future.

They knew this experiment needed organic growth and the ability to evolve and change along with the evolution and change of the citizens. They did not always agree. In fact, they often disagreed on not only what to do or how to do it, but even why it should even be done. But they knew it was important to find that place of agreement, that place of unity and unification for the common good. In reading their stories and struggles we are given a guide for our modern times.

They knew the people were capricious and selfish. By entrusting the decisions of the future into the hands of various layers of representation and decision making they tried to develop a structure and a system that would balance out the diverse cries of the crowd. They built in not only a series of checks and balances in the dual representation process but in the balance of powers between the branches of the government. They built in a process that would slow the changes that could be made to the Constitution in a way that allowed the time to cool men’s passions and required thoughtful consideration of the issues at hand.

As evidenced by the famous “remember the ladies” exchange of letters between Abigail and John Adams (click here for the “remember the ladies” letters), they knew they could only move forward at a pace that was congruent with the consciousness of the times.

They warned and foresaw many dangers on that day hundreds of years ago when they risked their lives to pen their names on the Declaration of Independence. They knew the risk. Benjamin Franklin’s statement on that day right before they signed summed it all up, “Come now gentlemen, we must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”

Come now gentlemen, we must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.
– Benjamin Franklin

They knew that the Republic they were forming would take vigilance to maintain as evidenced by the words of Benjamin Franklin after the signing of the Declaration of Independence; he was reportedly asked by a lady, “well doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” He famously replied, “a republic madam, if you can keep it.”

The responsibility of keeping a Republic vital and moral was also reflected in the words of Thomas Jefferson when he wrote “Yes, we did produce a near-perfect republic. But will they keep it? Or will they, in the enjoyment of plenty, lose the memory of freedom? Material abundance without character is the surest way to destruction.”

Our Fore Fathers knew that what they were building was only a framework for Freedom. The Bill of Rights was still to come after the hard work of negotiating the Declaration of Independence, the work we celebrate today was the hard negotiation of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Throughout this process of compromise reaching common ground with representatives of diverse belief and different cultures they worked for compromise without compromising their deepest beliefs, and their “sacred honor”.

Today, and in the days to come, as we ponder this gift they gave us, let us take time out to be grateful for the sacrifices they made to create this great experiment in governance that has forever changed what humanity requires of its leaders. They provide an example that I hope is a renewed commitment to every representative in Congress, to every representative in Senate and to every Judge in every office of the nation, and every layer of the executives of our government from the White House to Main Street in the smallest town. You have been given a sacred honor, a sacred responsibility that is not to be dismissed for ease or expediency.

Namaste,

Genevieve

The Blessing of Love on All That You Do!

P.S. Are you a veteran (military personnel) or know a veteran, send them this link for our Independence Day bonus week giveaway “I’m Free MP3 Veterans Bundle.”

Last updated 7-3-2018

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Freedom, Fear and Forgiveness

Genevieve Gerard

Reflections on the
15^th Anniversary of 9-11

When Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced the attack on Pearl Harbor, a shocked nation listened to his resonant voice on the radio with the words “a day that will live in infamy”. Americans were horrified that without a formal declaration of war, Japan would attack a US Military base in Hawaii. As most of us remember from our history class, if not from our own lives, the surprise nature of the attack without the prior declaration of war was a part of the horror. War had in that event, become different. The old rules no longer applied. It marked a change in how the world worked and required an adjustment in the thinking of not just Americans, but the whole world.

This was also true, on 9-11 as the world watched domestic airplanes filled with peaceful passengers crash into the World Trade Center. Not only was the sudden assault an act of war, but it was an act of war without a clear opponent in a war. Victims were not citizens of a country, but symbols of a society against which a group of people, not a government had created a war, with no declaration or even clear purpose that we could understand.

The fact that this event was watched through the day and night courtesy of 24-hour news coverage made this unique in the history of civilization. An act of war, an act of unspeakable terror was right there with us in our homes. Where we were and what we were doing when the planes hit the towers and then even more unthinkable when the towers collapsed became a part of our ordinary life. The terror, the horror, and the fear this engendered affected everyone in the country and indeed most people in the world. In addition, due to the media, as we relived the experience repeatedly we became a society suffering from Post Traumatic Stress.

That the fear has lingered is not surprising. That the blame has extended to an entire religious group instead of a group of fanatic individuals is potentially one of the most dangerous aspects of the after effects of 9-11 as it is this factor that most threatens our freedom. This fear now threatens to destroy what has made America a people unique in the history of civilization.

This threat to our freedom comes not from the outside world but from our response to our own fears. We must as a people now learn to transcend our fear without offering up our liberty. We must with vigilance and the distance of the passing years look at the effects that terrorism has had on our life and our society and re-evaluate how much power we wish to give our attackers to destroy our values.

As one of our Founding Father’s Benjamin Franklin once commented, “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

If we allow our fear to erode our liberties we have surrendered what is most valued and the terrorists would have won a victory that the Nazis and the Communists failed to win. See article “Did Osama Win” by Andrew Sullivan in Newsweek September 4, 2011.

Freedom of religion is a key principle upon which our country was founded. If that principle were reinterpreted to only grant that freedom to popular regions, what it means to be an American and to live in America would be lost. As High School Civics teachers have taught for generations we must preserve freedom for everyone, because the logical consequence of loss of anyone’s liberty is the loss of everyone’s liberty.

Therefore, as we face this milestone of unspeakable horror it is necessary that we begin to focus our efforts upon releasing the fear that terrorism generates in us. Releasing Fear and learning to transcend and transmute our fears is one of the most profound, powerful and life changing aspects of transforming our consciousness.

Downloadable on my website is a visualization (called “Feeling Free“) to help you transmute fear and other negative emotions. This crucial time when our fear is being refreshed with all of the media coverage about 9-11 is a perfect time to begin releasing the fear that this event may have engendered.

Finally, to free your country from the residuals of terrorism you must begin a process of healing. Healing ultimately is enhanced by forgiveness. We have seen the failure of revenge. As Mohandas Gandhi once stated,

An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.

It is time to let the past be in the past.

It is time as a people to put the fears and the horrors of terrorism behind us and as we begin the rebuilding of our lands and lives remember to rebuild our faith and confidence in our world. It is time to renew in our hearts and minds the freedoms that we have worked so hard to achieve. We can conquer our fears, honor our liberties and our values, and learn to forgive. Yes, even the unforgiveable.

If it were not unforgivable, true forgiveness would not be required.
— Genevieve Gerard

When my friend Alan Scherr was killed, along with his 13-year-old daughter Naomi, in the Mumbai Massacres at the Oberio Hotel his wife Kia formed an organization to honor the sacredness of life. Her leadership in response to her loss is a powerful force in the world to bring peace and transformation out of sorrow and loss. For more information on forgiveness visit her site “One Life Alliance” here.

As our thoughts go to the families who have lost loved ones, let us pray for the healing of the families, the healing of our nation and the healing of the world, that today marks the moment when we as a people move forward to greater understanding of those who live life differently from us with the realization that we are more alike than different and we are ultimately one people, in one world. Peace best serves us all.

Blessings,

Genevieve

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