The Constitution is being whittled away by growing government
by James Simpson

Potomac News
Friday, June 27, 2003

We are approaching July 4th - the day we honor as the time our Independence became official through a formal Declaration. Our founders did the best they could, in fact better then had ever been done in the past, in creating a representative free-market republic, designed to protect the individual from oppression. Unfortunately they were unable to foresee how the system would slowly change over time by politicians who have chipped away at the foundations upon which our country was built.

Amazingly enough, while people like Senator Joseph McCarthy were attacking Hollywood filmmakers and studios for "UnAmerican" activities our Congressional representatives were continuing to plunge America into socialism by the distribution of wealth through the income tax system.

Many of the problems we face today (contrary to what children are taught in the union controlled government school system) stem from programs such as Franklin Roosevelt's' New Deal and Lyndon Johnson's' Great Society. Socialist programs such as Medicare, Social Security, Welfare, and the like have devastated free markets and individual responsibility. Where citizens at one time turned to private enterprise and individual resourcefulness to solve troubles, we now have entire generations who have been taught to run to the government any time they face a problem or challenge.

The following are only a few of the results of government trying to fix everyone's problems:

Size of the Federal Government: The further away from the people the government is, the less responsive it tends to be. The 10th Amendment to the Constitution was supposed to protect us from this; however it has been mostly ignored since the mid 1800s. The result is that government is now controlled by special interests that are able to lobby for funding of their pet projects because individual citizens throughout the country are unaware of what their representatives in Washington are doing and just don't have the time to keep track everything going on in DC.

Excessive Laws: It now takes a lawyer to understand Virginia or U.S. Code. Unlike the Constitution (which I should point out could never be written so clearly and succinctly by today's politicians) the laws that we are required to obey are so voluminous and complex that the average citizen finds it impossible to navigate them without an attorney advising them. The result of this is that additional laws are heaped on every year to try and plug small leaks that were circumvented by cunning lawyers... only adding to the problem.

Convolutedness of Budgets: What can I say about this? Just try and figure out how tax money is obtained and allocated for transportation projects in Virginia and you will become intimately familiar with the problem. The result is that people can't become involved in the process of improving and reducing the tax system because they don't have the time to untangle the web of transfers, nor figure out how all the appropriation formulas work.

Career Politicians: Because most politicians get elected to office with the intent of making it a job, as opposed to performing a civic duty, we are stuck with people who are more beholding to those who can donate money to keep them in office. Which actually leads to my next point…

Two Party Domination: Due to the overwhelming amount of money given to Republicans and Democrats by individuals and organizations who want to protect their special interests, it is an uphill battle for a 3rd party candidate (interested in principles rather than making a career out of politics) to get elected… not to mention simply getting on the ballot.

Our system of voting forces folks to vote "against" the D or R that will draft legislation and budgets which direct money away from their interests rather than "for" the candidate who they feel will "do the right thing." This would change entirely if Instant Runoff Voting were adopted. Instant Runoff Voting would allow citizens to vote for a 3rd party candidate without fear of causing their least-favorite big party candidate to win the election (For more information on IRV go to http://www.fairvote.org/IRV/)

Fortunately our founders designed a system where we can, if we are motivated enough, change the course of the nation. This requires action from you. It means that you must vote career politicians out of office, and hold those who are in office to the oath they swore to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States. On the 4th of July let us remember the sacrifices that were made by those who pledged their Lives, Fortunes, and Sacred Honor so we might live in a nation where such changes are still possible.

On a side note: One local columnist appears to fear guns and gun owners. What I find amazing is that most of the violence that occurs these days takes place in areas where guns have been banned … like schools or in cities like D.C. and New York. I attend gun shows regularly, where literally thousands of guns and tons of ammunition are laying around everywhere. Yet I have witnessed no violence and not heard of a single shooting at one of these shows. I wonder why that is … hummmm. Maybe it is because the irrational fear mongering promoted by certain individuals is not based in fact but on emotional overreaction to a problem that they aren't willing to admit has no merit.

Oh yea … one other observation - based on evidence and not emotion: While there are a number of people who have lost their lives in this country due to the unfortunate and unavoidable consequences of having an armed society, I believe it is far preferable to the millions who have lost their lives to oppressive governments that have disarmed their citizens. Something to think about.

James Simpson lives in Lake Ridge, and doesn't have a small, yellow "gun on board" sign in his car window. He has chosen the modern version of small, oval "OBX" sticker with the letters "GUN" substituted.