Reddy
Major elections are upon us, and divisive rhetoric is rampant. As we head to the polls, it’s worth rewinding to consider the founding principles of our republic. The Revolutionary War was fought over these principles, and a new country was born—a collection of people from all over the world who made America one of the greatest nations ever. So, what did our founding fathers envision for this government? Their guiding principles might serve us well as we step into the voting booth:
1. Our republic was built on the premise that individuals acting freely within the framework of strong but limited laws and a Bill of Rights are best suited to govern themselves, with rights derived from God, not government. The Declaration of Independence specifically states that we are “endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights.” Our founders created the first self-governing nation in history, drawing inspiration from the Gospels, with the individual at the center of existence. Liberty, or freedom, is the legal right not to be enslaved by government, and we must fight for that right as our forefathers did. The voting booth is our weapon.
2. The Constitution divided government power among three branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—to limit authority and keep the citizen sovereign. Beware of governments seeking to consolidate these powers by combining all three branches into unelected agencies and bureaucrats who create laws in the form of regulations, administer the laws they write, and adjudicate these laws by assessing fines or sometimes prison terms. This is what our founding fathers feared. The more powerful a government becomes, the more liberties it takes from citizens. Thomas Jefferson said, “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.” If you feel that you must bow and “kiss the ring” of those who represent you, or if they control you by assigning unlimited power to bureaucrats you can’t vote out, then use your power and vote them out. If left unchecked, the government will not protect citizens but suppress them.
3. Finally, as a constitutional republic, the Constitution is the supreme law. All other laws and regulations must flow from the Constitution. Elected officials take an oath to uphold it, yet often make decisions based on personal biases. Today in South Carolina, a seven- or eight-page constitution has been turned into 36,000 pages of state regulations, followed by countless local laws and ordinances. While rule of law is what our founders supported, they feared a rule by law that stifles the individual and empowers the government. Local governments, like city or county governments, were intended to be close to citizens, protecting them from federal or state intrusion. Instead, local government now often acts as an arm of the state, harshly enforcing innumerable laws and regulations that conflict with the Constitution. Always oppose this government overreach and vote accordingly.
I’ll end with what Albert Einstein said: “The strength of the Constitution lies entirely in the determination of each citizen to defend it.” Our most powerful weapon is our vote. Let’s vote for those who support the founding beliefs of this country—a constitution that limits government and allows citizens to self-govern with rights endowed by our Creator. Let’s vote out the power-hungry politicians who believe they control us through expanded government and unlimited powers assigned to unelected bureaucrats, who think the Constitution is no longer relevant, and who assume they know what’s best for us. God bless this great republic.
-
Reddy or Not represents the opinion of Lucky Dog Publishing owner Rom Reddy but not necessarily the opinion of the newspaper. In keeping with our philosophy of publishing all opinions, we welcome responses, which must be limited to 400 words and will be published on a space-available basis.