
“Government, like fire, is a dangerous servant or a fearful master.” George Washington (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I postulate that being a good American means living in harmony with the spirit of The Constitution of the United States. If that’s true, should we ever trust government?
Absolutely not.
The reason we have three, separate and independent branches of government (Legislative, Executive and Judicial) is to keep those governmental branches fighting among themselves and thereby prevent the emergence of a single, dictatorial government that worked for its own interests rather than those of the people. The mandate for three branches of government (separation of powers) is evidence that the Founders didn’t trust the federal government.
The reason we have “checks and balances” in the Constitution is to protect the people from the federal government. The Founders didn’t trust the feds.
The reason we have the 1st Amendment right to free speech is to allow us to expose government corruption.
According to the “Preamble to the Bill of Rights,” the reason we have the entire Bill of Rights (including the 2nd Amendment) is to prevent “misconstruction or abuse” of the powers granted under the Constitution to the officers, officials and employees of the federal government.
Insofar as the Constitution was intended to allow for only a “limited” government, that Constitution was intended to protect against government’s inevitable and insatiable appetite for more power, more taxes and less freedom. The Founders didn’t trust the federal government.
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