Carte Blanche: Better to be right than listen to the people
Chinmay Singh
"The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object." - Thomas Jefferson
What is the purpose of the government? To rule over the people or to be a servant of the people? That question has been debated in every time and every place where power resides. In the US, the current conversation has morphed from that into a newer one. Is it better to be right or to act on the desires of the electorate? At the moment, the idea of new, wide-reaching taxes is being heavily debated. However, while such ideas are popular among politicians, especially in the progressive movement, is it really the desire of the people? While they are sold as a way to generate new revenue and address budget shortfalls, little to no thought is given to the second- and third-order effects that will result. The Second Amendment has been under attack since the day the ink dried on the Bill of Rights. The state of Virginia, under the newly elected Democratic governor, along with both houses of the legislature controlled by democrats, is trying yet again to limit access to firearms to the average citizen. On top of it all, Congress, despite the overwhelming support of Americans regardless of party affiliation, refuses to pass the Save Act and implement voter ID requirements. Elected representatives at every level of government, both state and federal, continue to ignore the will of the electorate in the name of some “greater good” that seems to cost a great deal and never truly delivers on the promises made to pass the bills into law.
Income Tax is something most everyone can agree is both painful and unpopular. Politicians sell it as a necessary evil without which the government could not function. The money collected provides the services and infrastructure necessary for any society to function, so they say. Despite not having an income tax and having voted ten times in the state's history to ensure one was never passed, the Washington legislature finally did so. The Democratic majority argued it was necessary to cover a ten to twelve-billion-dollar deficit. The alternative, of course, reducing government spending, was too abhorrent to consider. So a 9.9% tax on income over $1 million had to be levied. It was obvious that the legislators who drafted and passed the legislation were confident in the bill's support, but, to be safe, they included a necessity clause that ensured a public referendum was blocked outright. The popular slogan of making the wealthy “pay their fair share” because the problems in those states and indeed the nation come from a lack of government revenue and have nothing to do with government fiscal policies. As those wealthy flee from the states that seek to punish them for their wealth, the very taxes passed to fill budget gaps and that many government programs will become dependent on will only create even deeper holes in state finances. Washington state will soon find itself experiencing a host of financial issues, all stemming from the fact that those elected chose to ignore the will of the people, and in the most egregious way. Not merely by paying taxes, the people had resisted for over a century, but by adding insult to injury by making sure they would be denied the right to vote on it and to voice an opinion different from those elected to see their wishes carried out.
Virginia has passed new restrictions on its citizens' rights to possess and sell firearms. In what is yet another ban on “assault weapons” that takes that definition purely from the imagination of the politicians who would see the citizens disarmed. The bill would define rifles, pistols, and all semi-automatic firearms that could hold over ten rounds as assault weapons. It would also require that any weapons kept in vehicles be stored in expensive safety storage kits, except for members of the state legislature. This would not be the only special privilege the legislature has proposed for itself. They are also considering giving themselves a 287% pay increase. While the firearms bill has already been passed and is now headed to the governor's desk to be signed, what message besides contempt would the state legislature be sending if they exempt themselves from certain laws with one stroke of the pen and then give themselves a raise with the other? There is a long history in the US of lawmakers seeking legal means to redefine the meaning of the Second Amendment and passing laws to implement their interpretation. All the while, the government does nothing to limit law enforcement or federal agencies' ability to possess or use those same firearms and tools. If they claim that their actions are either the will of the people or for their benefit, then they should turn to referendums to see if those beliefs hold true when exposed to the cold light of day.
As for Congress, there have been a few times in the nation's history where a viewpoint has held overwhelming public and bipartisan support. With numbers as high as 83%, voter ID is supported by Americans, regardless of party affiliation or race. While the majority of Republicans in Congress agree, the House passed the legislation on party lines, the Senate lacks the 60 votes to pass it without a filibuster. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has also voiced his concerns about the legislation and is reluctant to either bring it up for a vote by using the talking filibuster to pass it or to end the filibuster altogether. Democrats, of whom a majority of their voters are in favor of voter ID, outright reject it, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling the legislation “Jim Crow 2.0” and decrying it as a racist attempt to deny voters their rights. There are fair points to be made about married voters' birth certificates not matching their driver's licenses, or about other voters having difficulty obtaining either ID or their birth certificates. However, while these are valid points, Congress could pass amendments that allocate funding and resources to enable states to solve these issues and to work with citizens to ensure their rights aren’t trampled or denied. That seems unlikely as ideology, not common sense or compromise, rules the nation's lawmakers. The effects of which are plain in every facet of American society at the moment, and without pressure from the voters, it is unlikely to change.
A terrible idea has taken hold of political leaders. They fear being perceived as wrong and of having to reduce the size and scope of the government, rather than consider what the people want or what will serve the nation best. In the process, they deny the rights of citizens and take from them their property and their income to fund governments at every level that are consuming everything they touch. Budgets balloon, deficits balloon, and, slowly but steadily, the government becomes ever more powerful as citizens are denied the power to resist or defend themselves. The time is long past for doing something. The ballot box is where it should take place. If the will of the people means nothing to those elected to carry it out, then by all means, let the next election cycle ensure they are removed and someone who listens and is better suited for the task takes their place. America is a nation that will have this power so long as the people use it. That moment has never been more crucial than when politicians stopped listening and started telling. Now it must be decided by the voters, not the elected.