Dear Editor:
The history of governance is primarily about tyranny, with powerful people forcing their will over the weak. The Greeks developed democracy, but its majority rule trumped individual rights. If two wolves and a sheep vote on what’s for dinner, you do not want to be the sheep.
Our founding fathers were well educated on the sad history of governance, and they despised democracies, monarchies, and dictatorships. They created a constitutional republic where individual rights were paramount, and where only a handful of responsibilities were relinquished from the people and the states to the federal government. Many feared a strong federal government, so they severely limited its authority, retaining maximum freedom and liberty for the people. Thomas Jefferson said, “Experience hath shown, that even under the best forms of government, those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.”
That personal and economic freedom resulted in two centuries of wealth creation that astonished the world. But today, our massive federal government bears little resemblance to its founding. We are smothered in taxes, regulation, and debt, all stifling wealth creation. Big government is a blunt force that repeatedly helps one voter group at the expense of others. Politicians take an oath to uphold the constitution, then most repeatedly vote in unconstitutional laws. In effect, their oath is a lie to obtain office. They demonstrate contempt for freedom, liberty, the Constitution, and us. John Shadegg (R – AZ) has unsuccessfully proposed a law annually for fourteen years requiring congress to state the constitutional authority for new laws. Most politicians refuse supporting his proposal as that would stop their unconstitutional vote buying schemes.
Most politicians vote their best interest (re-election), not our country’s best interest. I believe this could be reversed with only one change, a constitutional amendment prohibiting any Congressman, Senator or President from holding the same office two consecutive terms.
In the mean time ask your federal representatives to support the Shadegg proposal. If they refuse, vote them out. Honorable people don’t take an oath, then routinely break it. Stand tall for our Constitution.
Gary Shaffer
Ursa, IL
Seeing the Easy Expression did manage to remind me of the good old days on the dairy farm.
