A Leap of Faith..
by W.S. Chutzpah
On a calm summer day I was privileged to witness what I believe is man’s ultimate salvation. One of God’s smallest creatures prepared to fulfill his destiny with the same leap of faith his ancestors had made since they first appeared on earth. This tiny little 2 inch tall bird was preparing to leave the only home he had ever known, a nest some ten feet up in a tree. That first step from the nest would be the equivalent of a six foot tall human stepping off a 43 story building. This little bird had no idea what flight was or how to achieve it. He had witnessed his parents fly but they never gave him any instructions He read no books, viewed no video, watched no movie, and received no training whatsoever. In short, he had only a couple of seconds to avert certain death, or at the very least a severe physical trauma to his frail body.
Something in his genetic makeup required he flap his wings without knowing exactly what they had to do with his future survival. Then – the leap. He jumped out of the nest and began flapping furiously. He managed to execute a maneuver near enough to actual flight that he reached the ground with no significant damage. A couple more running tries and he was airborne and ready to explore the world.
Like this tiny bird men have executed their own leaps of faith. Galileo stood against the power of the Catholic Church when he declared the earth was not the center of the universe. The early scientists were sent flying across the room when they first experienced the electricity stored in a Leyden jar. Much, if not most, of man’s progress has been achieved because a human has put his life on the line to test whether or not something was possible. As science progressed man has found other ways to test his ideas to avoid risking his life. A leap of faith is still required. The dime store king, F.W. Woolworth, saved for years to get enough money to open his first dime store only to see it fail. He worked, saved, and started three more times before he finally succeeded. Sometimes the fuel for that leap of faith is hard labor, sometimes it is money, sometimes it is pure tenacity, sometimes it is an ability to see the future as no one else can, and sometimes it is a willingness to fight the powers that be (including the government).
With the governments of the world becoming ever more predatory toward their citizens our future hinges more than ever on our ingenuity and willingness to make that leap of faith into the unknown. Citizens of the world live better because of the internet, cell phones, 3-D printing, and new technology than any government actions. While governments are busy attempting to wrest guns from citizens (as Hitler did in Nazi Germany) s college student in Texas gave the world the ability to make a gun by pushing a few buttons on a 3-D printer. A terrified Obama is desperately trying to stop progress by preventing the manufacture of such weapons. He is doomed to fail since the plans and instructions are now in the public domain across the entire world. He can make life difficult for the pioneers who take that first leap of faith but he cannot stop progress. What really terrifies Obama is that he can no longer take away from the people he wishes to dominate, the ability to defend themselves against his government goons.
Bankrupt states and cities are being forced to cut back the protective services that law abiding citizens formerly relied on for their personal safety. When that protection breaks down or is no longer available, citizens will be forced to protect themselves and they will find a way to do that – even if it means printing their own guns. Obama might be able to stop you from printing your own gun from information obtained in America but the rest of the world will be happy to provide you with the information necessary (think China, Russia, Iran, Al Qaeda, etc.).
The genie is out of the bottle and even the mighty Obama cannot put it back. Even if by some miracle he found a way, there will always be another human standing on the edge of the nest ready to take the next leap of faith. Man has shown his willingness to stand up against overwhelming odds – including governments. Man has also shown an ever increasing cleverness to utilize new knowledge in ways that defy the imagination. Man’s imagination and willingness to make the next leap of faith will ultimately triumph.
It can! It will! It must!