Thoughts On Liberty
30. Mar, 2009 
12 Comments
by Neal Ross
During last year’s election season, I went down to my local mall to buy a book entitled, Who Killed The Constitution. After purchasing my book, I sat down on a bench and waited for my wife and son to finish looking around the rest of the mall.
As I was sitting there I noticed a table set up by the entrance to Sears. There was a large crowd surrounding it talking and looking at literature. I paid no attention to it, as there is always some sort of table set up signing people up for one thing or another.
Eventually my wife came up to me and asked me to come with her, as there was a blouse she wanted me to look at in Sears. As we walked past that table I looked down and they had all kinds of Obama paraphernalia and one of them was saying, “Once he gets elected we still have a lot of work to do.”
I guess by the way my stride had slowed my wife could tell I was going to stop and say something, she gently grabbed my arm as if to say, ‘Keep on walking Neal’. I really wanted to stop and ask them a couple questions, but I guess my wife didn’t want me to start a fuss and embarrass her.
When I got home I began to think about why people support a politician like Barack Obama, or any of the others for that matter. I know I have said it a thousand times, but I will keep saying it until peoples actions allow me to stop saying it, it just seems that people today have no clue as to what powers the Constitution grants those whom we elect to represent us.
I began thinking that people in this country have been enslaved to the arbitrary assumptions of power, by the very people they elect to serve them, that they no longer understand the true meaning of liberty, and where we derive it.
Thomas Jefferson said that, “Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add ‘within the limits of the law’ because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.”
That answers what liberty is, but where does it come from? To answer that I again turn to the words of Thomas Jefferson, “God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure if we have removed their only firm basis: a conviction in the minds of men that these liberties are the gift of God?”
Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines liberty as,
1: the quality or state of being free: a: the power to do as one pleases b: freedom from physical restraint c: freedom from arbitrary or despotic control d: the positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges e: the power of choice.
With all the laws our government has passed that restrict our actions, which if you bothered to look, they weren’t authorized to pass, how can anyone honestly say that they are truly free?
James Madison once said, “The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.”
And abusing power is something our government has gotten very good at. The whole time we sit back and believe that we are free, that we still maintain our liberty.
People are under the assumption that government is there to watch over them, to aid them when run into times of difficulty. I defy anyone to find a single clause in the Constitution that grants the government the power to take money from one person, or a group of people, and give it to others who are less fortunate.
James Madison, who just happens to be considered as the primary author of the Constitution, once said, “With respect to the words, “general welfare,” I have always regarded them as qualified by the details of power connected with them. To take them in a literal and unlimited sense would be a metamorphosis of the Constitution…[that] was not contemplated by the creators.”
Is that clear enough? If not, maybe Thomas Jefferson said it in simpler terms, “Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated.”
If people really want to know what their government is authorized to do, I recommend they find a copy of the Constitution and read Article 1, Section 8. There they will find the specifically enumerated powers that Jefferson spoke of.
If people took the time to educate themselves concerning the powers we have given to our government they would realize that they have been abusing the trust we have placed in them for quite a long time. Those whom we elect to represent us do not measure up to the quality of character of George Washington, who said, “The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon.”
When people continue to be fooled by the promises of those seeking office, when they continue to allow those whom they elect to ignore the constraints the Constitution has put upon them, the people will be in constant danger of losing that which our government was created to protect, their liberty.
Thomas Jefferson said it best, “A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.”
Ben Franklin once told us that “The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.” It is not the job of the government to provide you with all these benefits those seeking office promise you. Along with each benefit comes a price, and the price may be something you aren’t willing to pay when the bill comes due. At that time it may be wise to remember what Jefferson said about protecting your liberties, “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
I would think that the American people would much prefer to hold their elected officials accountable to their oaths of office to uphold the Constitution, than to face the alternative of having to once again fight for their liberties.
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People are lazy. They’d rather have the government control their lives than have to work for themselves.
@Gazle, sure some people are lazy and only want to suckle, but I wager that the true American dream hasn’t died in the hearts of the masses. I think the mantra that “they just want a hand out” has been repeated so often as to dull the senses. I know plenty of hard working calloused-hand liberal-minded individuals. They don’t want the state to nurse them cradle to grave. They want to state to protect them from the real predators that surround us. It’s persistently one sided to only talk about the excesses of taxation by our “nanny state” and not speak to the true corruption right underneath our noses, corporate welfare, international aid to prop up trade, military cost overruns and international arms trade.
How come those topics never get discussed by those that claim rightful ownership of this mantle of “freedom”? That is why there is a groundswell on the left right now. I don’t assume that Obama is going to be the miracle worker that some people wish him to be, but he’s a damn sight better than the graft and blatant corruption that came before him.
Gerald Ford said this not Thomas Jefferson. Seems as if libertarians will jump at the chance to baptize any dead white guy under their mantle, even if they’re falsely attributing quotes to said dead guy.
http://wiki.monticello.org/mediawiki/index.php/Government_big_enough_to_supply_you
John, from what I see, you’re absolutely right that Ford is the one who said it. It’s most unfortunate that people care more about who said something than the words themselves. If Chairman Mao said it, it would still be right.
I’m not sure how it is you’re comparing what Obama is doing now with a corrupt power hungry government. I believe we just got RID of one of those. I also suspect Obama, who is a pragmatist and doing what he (and apparently over 70% of the population agreed) thinks is the right thing to address some pretty serious problems, also is a constitutional scholar. He taught it at the University of Chicago Law School (i.e. constitutional law).
Something tells me has a better grasp on the the intricacies of the constitution than you, I or any other president in the at least the last 100 years.
He’s been at it 100 days. Let’s give him a chance to succeed (or fail) before we pass judgment. I say: 2 years from now, we’ll know.
@Bill: Just because you know something well doesn’t mean you will follow it well. It can also mean you know how to get through the loopholes and not get caught.
I wish that people would stop taking political sides and look at all politicians as Neal here is. Democrat or Republican, every politician is out for their own best interests before the interests of the people. They do what will make them popular, they do what will get them the most campaign dollars from lobbyists, they do what will get them more power. I think that Obama pushing for a bigger government, running banks and car production, protected by a “civilian defense corp” is a very bad idea. I also think that Bush’s use of executive power and allowing torture was a bad idea. No human being is perfect, and the checks and balances that our founding fathers put in place reflect that they realized that. Politicians of the last hundred years think they do know best and don’t need checks or balances.
The central issue that has caused the American population to accept all of these unconstitutional actions of the federal government is the general confusion of Rights and Freedoms. The more Rights that a person is given, or thinks that he is entitled too, the less Freedoms are available.
My freedom to throw my fists around is restricted by your right not to be hit.
People now think that ‘Happiness’ is a right and not a freedom. Therefore the government has to provide this ‘happiness’ and not leave the individual the freedom to pursue his own happiness.
Pop Quiz:
Who is this politition?
- member of a socialist party
- consolidated near absolute federal power
- pushed for a strong civilian security force that was ‘just as strong and just as well funded’ as the regular military
- very charismatic
- elected during national/international financial crisis
- pushed through agenda to nationalize major industries
- belief that major industries were best run by the government for the People
- felt that his race had been victimized by another race that controlled his government and the governments of other countries
Two words: ‘Patriot Act’
You attribute a quote to Thomas Jefferson: “A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.”
Incorrect.
These words were from President Gerald Ford on August 12th, 1974 in his speech to both Houses. Jefferson never said these words.
@w stine – I can verify that you’re correct about that statement. But, that doesn’t mean that it’s any less correct. I think it’s an excellent perspective on the powers of government – at any level, and at any time in history.