I understand. Some people distrust government. They and others are very uncomfortable with others having authority over their lives, any part of their lives.
The answer for them is no government. None. But then that is the definition of anarchy.
There are those who do trust government. Especially those who count themselves as Americans (USA citizens, not Canada or Mexico). Americans who pay attention to the news, the processes of government and all of its workings, know government is made up of people like themselves. These are people who care about their nation, their form of government, and its processes. Many of the key individuals in the government were elected by the democratic process. And those folks are responsive to citizen inquiries, conversations, and transactional interactions. More so than not.
This description is the embodiment of government ‘of, for and by the people.’ Because we are included in the process and make it happen with our votes, it is our government run for what we all believe in. So we trust it.
Some people will think on this as Congress and the White House. Yes, that part is true, but there is so much more. All federal agencies employ professional staff who oversee the work, the policy formation, the actual workings of the government. These people are not elected, but they are supervised by elected hierarchies that are accountable for the results at agency level. Again, this is government of, for and by the people.
And there is more. States operate much the same as the federal government. Elected officials and representatives who are held accountable by the people. Or they lose their jobs at the ballot box.
State agencies are run by professional staff. Like federal agencies, state agencies perform their function under the supervision of elected people who are held accountable for desired outcomes by the voters at election time.
The same is true at the county level, municipal/village level, too. Good people elected to office doing the work of the people. Of course, those elected see to it that professional staff are hired to do the nitty gritty.
Yes, there are lots of levels of government. The closest to home is observable the most and best. We see very clearly what is accomplished and what remains to be done. If priorities shift, we speak up and ask our local officials to address those higher priorities. If there are questions as to what is and is not a proper priority, the voters and officials sort this out. It may be settled by a referendum or an election and change of personnel. Or just a town hall meeting.
The farther from home our government is, the more difficult the voter supervision role. But it is in place. If you do not trust this, then you don’t trust yourself. The duty begins and ends with each of us voters.
Law and laws form a system of order and process. This is both skeleton and glue of government. It is the basis of our trust. If it is broken, then all is broken.
Might that be what is happening at this very moment?
I think the State of Illinois is in the process of fixing its very dysfunctional government (decades of it). But the federal government is currently being twisted into something clearly the US Constitution did not prescribe. The Constitution did provide for its own repair, and redress of a system gone awry.
I humbly suggest to all that our federal government has gone awry and is not speaking the soul and value structure of the American People.
I wish this broken government to be fixed. I trust the law and the Constitution. I also trust many of our elected officials. It is time for the law, the Constitution and trusted elected officials to step up and use the Constitution to repair our broken system. Now.
A clear and present danger is obvious for all to see.
The alarm has sounded. Who will respond to it?
April 17, 2019
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