The Forgotten Right to Revolution
The Right to Revolution is a core American principle, rooted in the Declaration of Independence. Have we forgotten this as we face off against Federal Government overreach?
We need to talk about something foundational. It’s the “Right to Revolution”—a concept so deeply embedded in American DNA that it’s practically screaming at us from the pages of the Declaration of Independence. Yet, somehow, it's a principle we’ve collectively decided to ignore. And before anyone gets any wild ideas, let me make this perfectly clear: this is NOT an invitation to riot, burn down cities, or commit violence. We’re not there, and hopefully, we never will be. What we’re talking about is the need to recognize when our government is no longer serving us and finding legitimate ways to push back.
When Thomas Jefferson and the other Founding Fathers declared independence in 1776, they weren't just listing grievances against King George III. They were laying out a “radical” idea: when your government becomes destructive and no longer protects your rights, you not only have the right but the duty to change it. Jefferson was drawing from political thinkers like John Locke, who argued that government exists through a social contract. When that contract is violated, revolution becomes not just a right—it becomes an obligation.
This is in the Declaration of Independence itself: “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” Those words weren’t meant as poetic fluff. They were a call to action based on the natural law principle that governments must serve the people, not oppress them.
So why does the Right to Revolution feel like a distant, even dangerous, concept in today's political climate? (At least to those on the “conservative” side of things) It shouldn't. The idea is still as relevant as ever, especially when we look at the ways our government has deviated from its original purpose. If our Founders could see the state of our federal government today, would they say we’re still living up to their ideals? Or would they wonder why we’ve grown so comfortable with bureaucratic overreach and attacks on individual liberties?
Think about it: government surveillance, restrictions on free speech, constant encroachments on the right to bear arms—none of these were what the Founders had in mind. Every time our government enacts laws that infringe on personal freedom, without holding itself accountable, it is trampling on the principles laid out in 1776. The Declaration was clear: a government that no longer represents or serves the people loses its legitimacy.
The question then becomes: why aren’t we talking about this more? Why do so many of us accept a status quo that would have enraged the Founders? In my humble opinion, it’s because we've become complacent. The very spirit that gave birth to this nation—the revolutionary spirit—is something we treat as an outdated concept, rather than the “core” of what makes America free.
The Right to Revolution wasn’t just about resisting tyranny; it was about ensuring that the government always represents the will of the people. The famous rallying cry of “No taxation without representation” wasn’t just about taxes. It was a full-scale rejection of a government that no longer represented its citizens.
Today we face similar problems. Our current system is a sprawling bureaucracy that seems more concerned with maintaining and even growing its power than actually serving “We The People”. Unelected officials in Washington make decisions that affect every part of our lives, often without our consent, understanding or sometimes even our knowledge that it’s happening. And let’s not forget about the career politicians who’ve been in office for decades, getting rich while the average American struggles to make ends meet. It’s just not right!
Sound familiar? It should. This is the very kind of misrepresentation that pushed our Founders to take action against the British Crown. If we’re not vigilant, we risk falling into the same trap they fought so hard to escape. The Right to Revolution, in today’s terms, doesn’t mean picking up arms—it means demanding that our system works for “us”, the people, not the political elite.
So no, we don’t storm the Capitol or take to the streets with AR’s and your favorite sidearm. But we DO need to rekindle the revolutionary spirit that founded this country. The Right to Revolution is about way more than violence—it’s about holding our government accountable when it no longer serves its purpose.
Voting is a form of revolution. Organizing peaceful protests is a form of revolution. Educating our communities on their rights and responsibilities is a form of revolution. When we refuse to blindly accept government overreach, we’re embodying the same spirit that sparked the American Revolution. The Founders didn’t want passive citizens who simply accepted whatever came their way. They wanted an engaged, informed populace that would hold their government’s feet to the fire. Sadly, the percentage of the population that votes is an utter embarrassment IMHO.
We need to start seeing the government for what it is: our servant, not our master. The moment it stops serving us, which is very much the case as I see it, we’re fully justified in pushing back. Not violently, not chaotically—but firmly and with conviction through the various venues that allow us to do so. (think Convention of States)
The Right to Revolution isn’t some fringe idea—it’s part of the bedrock that makes America free. But it’s a principle that’s been buried under layers of complacency, fear, and government expansion. Let’s stop letting this fundamental right gather dust. Let’s reclaim it, live it, and pass it on to the next generation.
It's time we remember that “We The People”, are supposed to be in charge. The government serves at our pleasure, and when it stops doing that, it’s not just our right but our duty to stand up. Peacefully, legally, and with the full force of the revolutionary spirit that built this country.
If you’re feeling the need to reconnect with the principles that made America great, take action. Vote, organize, protest peacefully, and demand that your representatives “represent you”.
It’s time to restore the principles of the Right to Revolution in our very souls! We’ve got to hold our government accountable—before it’s too late.
Just Sayin…