Dear Editor,
Based on recent events, I felt it was important to write this as a reminder to my fellow Lancers. The honor creed of Longwood University is, “We shall neither lie, nor cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those that do,” and these are wise words to live by. Unfortunately, most politicians do not live by such tenets. Rather, they are encouraged to lie to gain office, cheat in order to continue their power and readily steal by way of corruption and taxation.
The government at every level in this country has gotten too large. President Donald Trump has started a conflict that has entangled us in yet another foreign conflict and raised prices. Governor Abigail Spanberger has raised taxes on us (when she ran on the promise of affordability) and trampled on our rights enshrined in the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Article One, Section 13 of the Virginia Constitution. Even county governments all over the country create arbitrary laws, including those that prevent and penalize charities feeding the homeless.
We have gone from a country founded on the principle of self-government to a nation that seems to be filled with serfs. We readily surrender our natural rights for the promise of temporary “safety.” However, we do not own the land on which we live, nor do we own the money we earn. All of these things belong to the government and the people are treated more as renters than a free citizenry. Somewhere along the line, the people lost the will to defend their lives, liberty and property. The government pounced on this. They promised us certain things, some of which we already had (like affordable healthcare), and took it from us. For generations and generations, we have been duped into getting “free” things from the government. Politicians promise that we will be granted a utopia if we give them our votes.
If this were the case, then where is the utopia? We were promised a stronger banking system, but all the Federal Reserve has done has devalued our currency and robbed us through inflation. We have been promised safety if and when we turn over our guns, but the real criminals have no regard for the law. We have been promised freedom, but all the government has done is spy on us through the P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act, kill people for owning guns and draft us to fight their wars.
The government creates problems, sells us solutions and does nothing but kick the can down the road. They have unleashed on us inflation, debt, more taxes, unending wars, crime, and destitution. If the government solved all of the problems within the country, then there would no longer be a need for a government at all. That’s why the government never does anything, because if it did, then it would become entirely obsolete. And it’s not just one side or the other — it’s both. It is all one big show, all of the division we see on television is meant to keep us divided. 99.1% percent of politicians are united on this, especially when it comes to robbing us of our lives, liberties, and property.
Why does limited government matter then? Simply put, because if we had a limited government, we wouldn’t be stuck with the bloated caste of thieves we currently have. How do we restore limited government in America? The best way to do so is to limit ourselves and restore within ourselves the ability to run our own lives.
The maxim of today is “no kings,” but I disagree. I believe every man a king and every woman a queen. We should rule our own lives and use our property as we see fit, so long as we do not infringe upon someone else's natural, God-given rights. With people willing to govern themselves, we will no longer need a bloated state. Over time, big government will wither away, the people will rule themselves and we can institute a limited government as is defined by the Constitution.
This constitutional government will do what it was originally meant to: defend our lives, liberties, and property. People will be allowed to run their lives again and we may advance once again as a free society, no longer shackled to a repressive and regressive state.
