THE TOWER OF BABEL

Americans today are as frustrated with every level of government in the United States as their forefathers were with their government in England in the 18th century. Included here (from the Chronicle of America, DK Publishing, Inc. New York, New York 1997) are some acts that riled the colonists and eventually led to the revolution and birth of the nation. Compare them with what's taking place today.

• April 5, 1764. Great Britain imposed the Sugar Act -- a tax on sugar and an extension of the previous year's Molasses Act.
• May 24, 1764. Speaking at a town meeting, lawyer James Otis raised the issue of "taxation without representation" and called for a united colonial protest.
• March 22, 1765. Britain's Parliament passed the Stamp Act, which imposed a tax on such items as legal documents, newspapers and playing cards.
• May 10, 1773. Parliament passed the Tea Act -- a tax on imported tea.
• September 5, 1774. The first Continental Congress was convened at Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia. On October 14, the delegates passed the Declarations and Resolves, a sweeping condemnation of British interference in American internal affairs. The colonists, however, still considered compromise with the motherland a viable option.
• July 4, 1776. After blood had been shed at Lexington and Concord, which together was the "shot heard 'round the world", the second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence.

Obviously, the leaders of the impending revolution could not afford the luxury of being distracted by foolish, meaningless concepts and words. Time was of the essence. Whatever differences there were among themselves, they must have set them aside since their lives depended on one another.

They had to bring together the people of many ethnic and cultural backgrounds. In order to convince them that the separation of the colonies from England would be a noble cause, communications and a communications system must have certainly been an essential part of their effort.

Today, however, ethnic and cultural societies are actually being discouraged from assimilating themselves into mainstream America.

As a consequence, many in such communities stay in fear of a government they literally cannot understand. Meanwhile, many elected officials, over time, have adopted the Tower of Babel syndrome by encouraging job languages that, without help, people can't understand or decipher. As examples, two such “languages” that most seriously impact society are used in the policies and procedures of government, and in the babble of the legal profession that has all but destroyed the principles of the U.S. Constitution.

The United States is fast becoming a dysfunctional society, somewhat like the one that attempted to build the Tower of Babel. The history of its people includes a “confusion” in languages that forced the builders to abandon their goal of building a tower that would reach heaven. America’s sources of confusion today are the many foreign languages; electronic devices that have replaced face-to-face communication; and, the use of such technical, social and legal “languages” in manuals, forms, and legislation. Cumulatively, they are forcing the country to stray from its goal of perfecting the constitutional "government of the people" for its people.

The result is that great numbers of Americans cannot follow or deal with day-to-day events, unless such are presented in media-type sound bites. They cannot unravel convoluted arguments, or aren’t familiar enough with the different "languages" to follow instructions or arguments on an issue. Obviously, the lack of a simple, standard, non-politicized communication and information system in the nation is the reason for the problem. Consequently, most Americans today find difficulty in making informed decisions governing their lives.

In other words, Americans cannot allow themselves to be governed by ambiguous laws written in many “tongues” by many unethical legislators; generally misinterpreted by the courts; and, subjectively applied by law enforcement. Obviously, failing in their obligation to be "eternally vigilant", modern America has been slipping into its own version of the Tower of Babel.

If America is to survive, Americans must demand a return to a life under the formal U.S. Constitution. The document was written in simple terms, so that it could be easily understood. This generation of Americans cannot afford to forfeit that legacy.

Tower of Babel, Copyright 2004, Bob Hegamin