Every living thing — both animal and vegetable — has been created to fulfill a given purpose. A cow is a cow, and a lizard is a lizard.

We humans are adaptable for many functions. We range from garbage collector, to carpenters, to brain surgeons. Some of us have great ability with hand eye coordination, some with music, some with mechanical insights, some with memory, and some are not sure, but an eagerness can find self discovery. Man, however, cannot create simple life, such as an apple seed,

We soon realize that everything is controlled, not only lifeless matter, but life itself. Control without purpose doesn’t happen, because control is the result of purpose. Happenstance never controls, because happenstance, by definition, has no purpose.

Mankind has abilities beyond any other creature. We can decide for ourselves whether to submit to control, or not. We can go into the barn and invent the automobile, or we can climb to the roof, and jump off head first. It is up to us. Only humans commit suicide. Options are an inevitable result of our sweeping intelligence. We are not born intelligent, but with the option of developing it. Those who shun an education shun their own humanity.

We have ability beyond other creatures. We can see beyond the problem of today. We can understand ourselves and our environment. We also have the ability to make of it what we will.

The definition of existence is our challenge. The world is full of answers of where we belong in the scramble to survive. We are more than any other creature, in that we have the ability to control ourselves, and the world.

It is not, however, the natural purpose of any human, to control the lives of other mature humans. That is the realism of the American Constitution. Our basic scheme for the freedom of man, is not that he should be ruled by other men, but that he should rule himself, through the acceptance and respect of his fellow men. That is the true promise of America.

Now it appears that our fate is at risk, because we have renegades in the halls of those who govern. They assume individuals to be subject to the wisdom of these self-supposed superiors. Sounds like we are reverting back to the ancient kings of the past. Those who would govern, try to capture our votes by promising security for everyone. This is possible only by giving up individuality. That may suit a barn full of cows, but not humanity. If you want a better world, we must create it by lifting ourselves by our own bootstraps. Ne-er-do-wells, who wish to profit from the labor of their fellow man, can just vote the party line, but that will not save anyone. Our founding fathers knew from experience that the freedom of mankind would never come from the rule of royalty. That is basically why we live by a government elected by the people, and for the people. Those who would attempt to destroy the power of the people, are self-created aristocrats, who would gain the rule of the country for their own profit. Those in government today have given themselves benefits beyond their fellow citizens. Many have been in government so long, they see themselves as our aristocrats.

We the people all have different faces, different mentalities, different interests and different lives.

We will never reach life’s fulfillment as a barn of cows with ruling aristocrats. That was never the promise of America. Our future is in the promise of humanity. We have life through the creation of God. Our intelligence recognizes his creation and control.

Our basic downfall has been our egotistical urge to be Gods replacement. We want to control the world and its future. Our egos tell us this, but that is a result of the ignorance of man’s imagination. It is the riveter controlling the construction of the bridge. Intelligent humanity is the discoverers of everything, but creators of nothing. May God bless America.

Richard Westlund is a North Collins resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com