Something to Think About by Jim Johnson

Let’s think way back to High School when our teacher’s asked (ha! “demanded”) us to memorize certain pieces of literature, AND in my case, we often recited them in front of the whole class. Given this was around sixty years ago chunks of my memory have become discombobulated, but here goes:

“In the beginning...” (King James Bible) (yes, it was allowed back then)

“Four Score and Seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this Continent a new nation” (“Gettysburg Address”)

“We the people...” (US Constitution’s purpose)
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union [1], establish Justice[2], insure domestic Tranquility[3], provide for the common defense[4], promote the general Welfare[5], and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity[6], do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” (My numbering of the 6 reasons for its existence.)

“We hold these truths to be self-evident...” (Declaration of Independence, 2nd paragraph)

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,..”

These are really basic documents supporting common law, or, law by “we the people,” or “...”consent of the governed,” But, as time progressed “we the people” have been swamped by greedy, power hungry folks and way too many of us fail to express our opinions by voting.
Remember for the entire history of man laws were passed from top down with interpretation by the various ministers who administered those royal dictates. Further, most folks could not even read; Schooling was through the church and monks scribbled out the books.
Then about 400 years ago groups that did not like royal rule either of the kings or the bishops set about civilizing (really just surviving) a hostile land a long way from home. They found that they could “make do” without instructions from the “fatherland.” This approach worked well until recently when it seems we have gone back to top-down dictates empowering non-elected “ministers.”
You doubt me. Then allow me a question; “why does a tax collection agency need 87,000, ARMED, agents in addition to their current numbers?”
Are we slowly slipping toward a “dictatorship of the proletariat” (rich and/or politically powerful) and away from our common law heritage where our representatives sit in conference and chart an agreed upon path? Actually, Lincoln had a solution. He called for a “government of the people, by the people and for the people...”
Yes indeed, it is time for some serious thought.