Page 65 - Amarillo Senior Link Magazine Fall 2021 - Online Magazine

HONORING SENIORS

It's Fitting that

We Say "Thank You"

by Phil Johnson

Justice, Texas Supreme Court, Retired

ver two hundred In contrast to such and their posterity.
years ago, persons totalitarian regimes, our And always comes the
Ofrom many countries governments – state and responsibility for some to Inspiration
began leaving their homes federal – have only those serve as soldiers, sailors,
for a “New World” where powers we as citizens and airmen to defend what
they had heard they could delegate to them. In other has been so dearly acquired
live, provide for their words, our governments and passed down to us:
families, and worship govern only with the freedom and individual
free from oppressive consent of the governed. rights.
governmental interference. The Tenth Amendment
It took great courage for to our Constitution so In his Gettysburg address,
those first pilgrims to leave specifies: President Lincoln referred
their native homelands and to the unfinished work of
build a new order in a new The powers not delegated preserving the union and its
land. Little did they know to the United States by the benefits. Paraphrased, his
that eventually they would Constitution, nor prohibited words remain applicable
fight a revolutionary war to by it to the States, are reserved today:
secure their independence. to the States respectively, or to
Little did they anticipate the people. Let each of us resolve that those
the full cost of that struggle: who have sacrificed and died so
most lost family members, The constitutional we may enjoy the blessings of
friends, or fortunes; many reservation of powers liberty will not have sacrificed
lost all three. to the people burdens and died in vain. Let us each
us as individuals with commit to the proposition that
It has not been easy for responsibilities. For this nation, under God, and its
Americans to preserve example, with the right government of the people, by
what was begun so long of freedom of speech and the people and for the people
ago. Wars and armed expression comes the shall be preserved for the
conflicts, including a civil obligation to speak out and generations that follow us.
war, two world wars, and to make our voices heard on
a war on terror, have tested issues of importance. The As a judge, I have attended
whether such a radical right to vote is accompanied ceremonies at which
new social order, as was by the obligation to become immigrants to this country
established in America, informed about issues and have completed their
could be maintained. The candidates and vote. The naturalization process to
tests continue: totalitarian right to a jury trial is paired become citizens. Invariably,
governments that deprive with the obligation to serve the new citizens have
their people of basic human as a juror when you are expressed how much
rights by force of arms have called to do so. In short, it is it means to them to be
committed to dismantling by fulfilling the obligations Americans and how they
the governmental structure of being good citizens that will never forget the day
of the United States, we secure the blessings of they became an American
imposing their totalitarian Liberty and the benefits citizen.
will on our populace. of our way of life to our It is fitting that all
children, our grandchildren
Americans – those by birth

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