by Daniel Gardner

If you don't fear the federal government, you're not paying attention. Our Founding Fathers - because they were also fallible human beings - knew intimately how tyrannical power could wreak havoc in every area of citizens' lives. After declaring their independence from that tyrannical power and winning the war for independence, they endeavored to create a different kind of governance with checks and balances on human nature to insure independence could survive as long as possible.

Independence from what? From overwhelming governance. We find ourselves today in much the same situation our founders faced when dealing with ornery taxes and laws violating basic human and civil rights. After the war was won these same founders drafted the Constitution along with the Bill of Rights to insure individuals certain God-given rights. The rights (not needs or privileges) listed there are for individuals.

I love Thomas Jefferson quotes. He was not only highly intelligent, but also highly articulate. "A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government."

Who today - besides Washington politicians or mainstream media elite - professes Americans enjoy "a wise and frugal government"? Does the business sector today feel "free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement"?

You think the founders had "experience" with tyrannical governors? Jefferson said, "Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny." He also said, "Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves are its only safe depositories."

We have elected politicians as our rulers, and they have perverted intentions clearly written in our Constitution by passing oppressive laws and regulations limiting more and more of our freedoms…our independence from tyrannical governors.

Reading not only the Declaration of Independence (to learn the precise complaints against King George, and to learn what our founders believed to be basic human and civil rights) and the Constitution (to learn precisely how the branches of government at federal, state, and local levels should check and balance powers), but also the Federalist Papers (to further understand the intent of founders to protect individual rights from tyrannical governors) we should all realize just how far our government has usurped powers neither granted nor intended for the federal government.

Jefferson said, "My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government." Do we have too much government today? Yes, way too much government particularly in Washington!

Looking into the future, Jefferson said, "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." For decades progressives in government, media, and academia have promised Americans the government would take care of them, would provide for all of their needs if we'd only trust them to do the right and fair thing.

It's time for a change in Washington. Jefferson said, "When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty." We the people need to lead political elite back to our independent roots.

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