The absence of government is called anarchy. Anarchy isn’t always mob rule and rioting in the streets, although that is one possible outcome. Our current system seems to have deteriorated into mob rule, and the potential for rioting in the streets seems to be increasing daily. Very few people are willing to be completely responsible for their own self-defense, so a majority of people demand some form of government – but which form is best.
What is the legitimate purpose of government? The Declaration of Independence reminds us that governments are instituted among men to secure the rights of life, liberty and property. (Property was replaced with “pursuit of happiness” in a last minute attempt to include abstract rights such as falling in love.) Our right to life is based on the assumption that each of us “owns” our own body, hence our body can be considered to be property. Liberty is the power to utilize our property in any way we wish, without requiring us to seek government approval. Ergo, the fundamental reason for government is to assist us in protecting our property. To anyone with a lick of sense, this concept is self-evident.
Easier said than done. In Federalist #51 James Madison observes that, ” If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.”
With all due respect to James Madison, “the Father of the Constitution”, it is impossible to oblige government to control itself. Government is an abstract idea which shields those who hold power from any liability for their actions. Hence, left unsupervised, government will ALWAYS expand into a totalitarian regime, UNLESS – – We the People constantly keep the government in check. It is possible to “bind men down with the chains of the Constitution”, but only when the people function as the “lock” to hold the Constitutional chain in place. This is where we have failed.
Legend has it that Daniel Boone once said, “I have never been lost, but I will admit to being confused for several weeks.” Boone’s pithy comment suggests that even if you don’t know where you are, there are certain pioneering skills that can help you get to where you want to be. Unfortunately, modern Americans are like naïve wanderers who are lost in the forest because they don’t know how to use the compass they hold in their hands.
Everyone I meet claims to be a good, patriotic American who desperately want to move in the direction of Liberty, but scarcely 1 in 1000 can tell me how many Articles are contained in the Constitution. Much like the novice wanderer, they hold the key to the answer in their hand, but they are clueless about how to apply the information.
We the People are the source of all political power in this country. We have the power to “alter or abolish” our form of government, with a moral obligation to “throw off such government, and provide new guards for [our] future security”. Everyone agrees that something needs to change. They also unanimously agree that violent rebellion should be the very last option. Unfortunately we have nearly exhausted most of our primary options. Freedom of speech tends to fall on deaf ears. Most protest rallies rarely boast more than a few dozen people, and letters of complaint mailed to our members of Congress simply trigger a computerized form letter that practically drips with disdain or indifference. So what is a concerned patriot to do?
First we must come to grips with the unpleasant fact that wishing will not make it so. We must take physical action. Stop making excuses and attend as many of the protest rallies in your area as you possibly can. Many battles are won by just showing up.
Next we must put an end to our denial and accept that most of what our government does is unconstitutional, and therefore most of our elected representatives are guilty of perjury and/or treason, depending on whether or not they know they are violating our rights. We need to take aggressive measures to let them know they are going to be held accountable for their actions. This can be accomplished by filing criminal actions against them when they violate local statutes – and their oaths of office.
Admittedly this is not as simple as printing and signing a website petition, but it isn’t so difficult that a determined patriot (or group of patriots) can’t learn the basics with a little help from those who have already figured out the techniques. You can begin your legal research at www.jurisimprudence.com and www.jurisdictionary.com. Once you learn how, you may discover a deep sense of satisfaction holding your representatives feet to the fire.
On the other hand, if you haven’t noticed that our republic is in serious trouble, or worse yet, you’ve noticed but you think you have better things to do than rising in defense of Liberty, then even the bitter words of Samuel Adams are not harsh enough to sufficiently criticize you for your apathy.
“If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.”
If you fail to act while Lady Liberty is being raped, you have no shred of honor or dignity whatsoever. None.
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