The Official Web Site of Stephen Willand ...
photo courtesy of Assumption College
TYRANNY
" I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility
against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."
Thomas Jefferson
These immortal words from the most eloquent and influential of the Founding Fathers have echoed throughout the years as a call for vigilance in the protection of our most cherished rights of freedom of speech, of thought and of _expression. Taken from a letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush these words are inscribed in the rotunda of the Statue Chamber of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington so that the tens of thousands of annual visitors for generations have been reminded of the paramount importance of freedom of thought. Later, in proposing a design for the U.S. seal, Jefferson proposed the phrase: "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God." We can, therefore, safely conclude that it was extremely important in Jefferson's mind that "eternal hostility" and "rebellion" against tyranny and tyrants was not only imperative for the safeguarding of our individual freedoms; it was the faithful, spiritual, if not godlike, thing to do. I have often wondered what Jefferson would do in today's world of political correctness and "correct speak" when he could not only not speak his mind freely, but would not be able to call upon his God to defend this right. He, as many of us, would be caught in a double conundrum.
We have all been witness to the "Merry Christmas to Happy Holidays or Seasons Greetings" correction. Recently, on Good Friday, I received a compliment on my new pastel lavender tie, to which I replied: "Thank you, it is a new Easter tie." "Excuse me," I was told "That is a lovely Spring Holiday tie." Spring Holiday tie? On the night before Thanksgiving I wished my students a safe and happy Thanksgiving. "No, Dr. Willand" said one of the students, "For those who care to I wish them a happy family get together. I, for one, will mourn what the Pilgrims did to the Native Americans." Sigh. God help me for saying "God Bless You" if you sneeze, "God Bless America" or, as God is my witness, make any reference to a higher authority or divine entity in public. The famous Minuteman Statue at the Old North Bridge in Concord (where the "shot heard 'round the world" was fired) has been called a monument to a white male chauvinistic militarist; my beloved College of the Holy Cross has decried as a flagrant testimony to the Crusades that ravaged the innocent people of the Middle East (notwithstanding the fact that the College was named in honor of an event during the reign of Emperor Constantine some 1,000 years before the Crusades); and the Boy Scouts, Catholic Church and others have all been put in their politically correct place.
I have often been asked what to do in this unfriendly, if not hostile, environment of political correctness. My answer has always been rather simple. Do not offend anyone, be sensitive to the feelings of others, but never, never, feel sorry for who and what you are and do not change or adapt your beliefs to suit the needs of others. Speak the truth, express your feelings, and be proud of who you are. If someone corrects you, stand firm in your beliefs, do not back down to the will of another who does not share your beliefs. If left unchecked, the tyrants will prevail. Swear eternal hostility to tyranny and hold your head high. Remember, rebellion to tyrants is a damn good thing.
