Saturday, July 17, 2010

Government Power

There's a posting over at The Geek with a .45 that talks about government power as opposed to freedom, and the Constitutional basis for that power.

If you've ever read the Constitution, (it's only about eight pages, with amendments) you'll find that the language is fairly simple and easily understood by the majority of people who hold a high school diploma. That is to say, most people can read it and understand the basic thrust of the document.

Our system of government is supposed to be limited, with three branches of government that check and balance the power of the other two branches. The Constitution lays down basic rules for the governance of the nation and reserves certain rights to the people.

Over the past fifty years, the national government has lost sight of the limited powers of government. The idea that government can solve all the ills of the people is simply wrong, yet our elected officials continue to perpetuate that error. I'd be plainly enthusiastic about an elected official if they'd occasionally say, "We've got no business interfering in that activity. It's outside the scope of government." However, I've never heard an elected official say those words.

Indeed, the notion that government can stick it's nose in our business is exemplified in the Supreme Court, where in the McDonald case we actually had four Justices arguing that government has the power to regulate a given thing in absolute disagreement with the plain language of the Constitution. It's absurd on its face, yet we've come to expect that kind of response from that branch of our government. Just as in Kelo, where they ruled that private property can be taken from a citizen and given to someone else, for increased taxation. It's ludicrous in the extreme, which is what you get when learned people are more interested in jots and tittles than in the plain language.

It's something to ponder, come this election year.

1 comment:

Rivrdog said...

No sir, that question is something to consider at the end of the month, when you discover that you have an extra $50. Go out and buy ammo for your best rifle, and go to the range and practice with that ammo.

If you can do your practice in the field, where you don't have a line to shoot from behind, and rules of muzzle swing don't apply, set yourself up a combat target course and do your practice there.

After you get done, and are sure your skills are sharp, feel free to discuss it on someone's blog, or start your own, because every time one of these government people who didn't read their Constitution sees such writing, they get a little scared. When they get a little scared, it gives them pause to reflect that maybe their NEXT attack on the Constitution might not be such a good idea.