Eowyn: “Leave me alone, snake!”
Wormtongue: “Oh, but you are alone. Who knows what you have spoken to the darkness, alone, in the bitter watches of the night, when all your life seems to shrink, the walls of your bower closing in about you, a hutch to trammel some wild thing in? So fair, yet so cold like a morning of pale Spring still clinging to Winter’s chill.”
Eowyn: “Your words are poison!”

To understand the condition of our country’s soul, is there a better picture than Grima Wormtongue whispering lies and half truths into the ear of good King Theoden until his will is reduced to a feeble murmur from the cracked lips of a broken body? For those not acquainted with the classic story, The Lord of the Rings by JR Tolkien, it powerfully portrays the timeless struggle between good and evil.

Until we can rouse ourselves to realize our own condition we will continue to accept the phony pleadings of unprincipled charlatans masquerading as “leaders”. Until we rally ourselves to stand up against true evil we will continue to accept the meager existence they benevolently dole out.

The attacks are relentless. A “federal agent” decides that a four year old’s home packed lunch doesn’t meet “federal nutritional requirements” sowing early the seeds of distrust against her mother! A local school teacher convinces impressionable minds that penguins won’t survive another generation and when a loving grandfather challenges that assertion is derided for creating turmoil in his granddaughter’s heart! The EPA, reflecting the mantra “We Can’t Wait” won’t and mercilessly imposes its madness on farmers under the guise of “Clean Air & Water” by attempting to tax cows, chickens, hogs and regulating “dust particles” giving already unreasonable and un-neighborly neighbors more fodder for their patriotic duty to squeal to the “authorities” (and unjustifiably raise food prices!)

The net effect is to convince ignorant people that the government is the sole discretionary power to determine our fate. The beauty of our political and economic system as free people has been, up till now, that we can have honest debate between good people and keep a semblance of balance. Today however, the debate is being ripped away from us by a ruling class who truly do not believe we are capable of ruling ourselves. History teaches us that the principle that we are a people capable of ruling ourselves was, in fact, one of the most hotly contested of the Constitutional Convention. Ironically, the general population did NOT believe they were educated or moral enough to rule themselves. The Founders literally had to convince the people that they believed the American people were indeed fully capable.

Why did the Founders believe that? It wasn’t because they were bending to political pressure or trying to win votes. But because of a profound understanding and respect for Natural Law and Nature’s God who alone makes all men equal and capable of reason and good will. They knew that the greatest determinate of good law is whether it rings true in good hearts. As Americans, historically, we have come to accept good reason and good science as good measures for good law. But we know, intuitively, that when the rules and regulations are merely for control and revenue we feel the need to push back.

Even more insidious is when the rules and regulations are couched in words that have historically resonated in good hearts. As a generous people we have for generations taken care of – not only our own – but the world’s needy. But the crafty use the poor and needy as justification for edicts that not only do not adequately meet their needs but damage their souls! They use our respect for good science to cloak quack theories and monger fear among the unsuspecting while all the while lining their own pockets with stolen treasures!

Here’s a test to determine for yourself to what degree your own mind has been infiltrated: Do we elect “leaders” or “representatives” in our system of government?

Our own county has come up with a “Master Plan” (recently renamed the “Great Plan” for some reason.) The opening paragraph includes this statement: “Gratiot County leaders realize that the future of the community is in their hands…” The “Plan” is a colorful hundred page document full of impressive charts, graphs and “studies” that justify central planning and loss of private property. How’s that for “leadership?”

Grima Wormtonge got tossed out of King Theoden’s presence when the cold heart of the King began to warm to the message of truth. The transformation from broken man to courageous King was sudden and remarkable. May God in his good Grace restore that good heart back into the people of this good land and we can toss the evil out into the darkness where it belongs!

Until then, “Grima Wormtongue” is still spreading his poison!