Massachusetts? Can it be that the most liberal of all states, a state where Democrats out-number Republicans 2.5 times, the state that proudly placed bumper stickers on vehicles shouting, “Don’t blame me, I voted for McCarthy”? Can it be that citizens there have taken out their muskets once again and fired a shot heard around the world?

I think they just may have.

It’s important that we realize that Martha Coakley wasn’t beaten by Republicans. She was beaten by the so-called un-enrolled. It’s important that we, as Republicans, pay attention to the anger that is running through the American People.

True, I’m sure, a number of Democrats crossed the line and voted for Scott Brown, but that is another indication of how powerful the conservative message has become over the past year of one-party rule. People all over the country are furious with this administration and its heavy-handed approach to governance. They are truly afraid of what this administration is trying to do to our country.

We’re Americans! We don’t like being told what to wear, what to eat, what to think and what to anything else they come up with. We, as Americans, are in the habit of seeing a problem and solving it. We, based on our history of accomplishment in the world, are a proud people. We are always the first in to help and the last ones to leave. We see suffering in the world and without hesitation, roll up our sleeves, put our human and monetary treasure up and go to work to solve any problem we encounter.

Americans are tired of having our country apologized for, minimized by not only our enemies, but by our own politicians, as well. We have no reason to scrape and bow to any other nation in the world. America is the most amazing experiment in human rights in the history of the world. We have freed more countries than most politicians have visited. We have fed and ministered to more sick and injured people than perhaps all other countries combined. In short, we are the most caring nation in the world.

What we are not, is a nation of sheep. We have taken a back seat to politicians who seem to be hell-bent on changing America. We, by majority, don’t want national health care. We don’t want the government to own General Motors and Chrysler. We don’t want special favors or bribes given in order to achieve a goal that most Americans are not in favor of. We want the government to stay the heck out of our way. We don’t like being told to shut up and get out of the way. We expect to be consulted rather than insulted.

How does this translate to Maine? It means, in my opinion, that we recognize the winds of change and all of our candidates should heed this message, as well. More importantly, all of us who are the voters of Maine should react accordingly. Recognize that the Democrats have, for more than 30 years, taken us down a path that is totally unsustainable and ruinous for our state. We have a debt that is absurd for a state with just over a million people. We have a tax code that is ruinous to business, a health care program that is a complete failure and a welfare system that is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

In short, we have a failed state. It is truly tragic, for a state with so many possibilities for prosperity, to be mired down under the terrible burden of a state government that demands more and more from the producers of wealth and less and less from those who insist on shirking the human responsibility of self-determination.

Good men and women have tried for years and years to work in a bipartisan way with the controlling party to no avail. Their idea of bipartisan is for the Republicans to do as they say. Sit down, shut up and take it.

The only solution is for the Republicans, independent and conservatives on both sides of the aisle to recognize the plight that we’re in as a state and change the occupants of the seats in Augusta. Nothing else will work. No citizens initiative will work. Complaining about it won’t work. Until the voters realize that their good friend, wonderful though he or she may be, needs to be replaced with another legislator in order to bring prosperity to Maine.

So to all of you I say, load your muskets, cock the hammer and get ready to fire another shot heard ’round the world. The time of man is with us, the people of America are with us and it’s time for real Maine values and all they stand for to once again take America and the state of Maine back!

Harry Faulkner of Bethel is chairman of the Oxford County Republicans.