The true meaning of Independence Day
Remembering the ideas of Jefferson
The Mankato (MN) Free Press
On this Fourth of July, with concerns of executive branch overreach and lack of oversight by Congress, it is especially instructive to look at the core tenet of the document that we are celebrating.
In penning the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson forwarded a truly revolutionary concept: That the United States government would exist only to safeguard the rights of the people it governed.
From the start, that stunning idea has been difficult to adhere to. Elected and appointed government officials, from the president down, have always had some conflict with that concept. Making laws and policy that benefit the country can conflict with the protection of individual rights.
Still, the erosion of those rights in recent years should be reason for concern on this Independence Day.
President Bush has made broad use of his executive powers, from warrantless wiretaps and collecting phone records on millions of Americans, to holding suspected terrorists overseas without legal protections and even considering using the military to patrol the United States border.
The president claims the right to infringe of long-standing rights because of the need to fight terrorism. But there is no compelling evidence that the overreach for power is necessary to get good anti-terorrism intelligence.
The argument is also problematic because the so-called “war on terrorism” is unlikely to have an ending point, meaning the excuse to step on civil rights will have no ending point. America had been fortunate to escape the horrors of terrorism for as long as it has. But it’s now likely that foes will from herein use terrorism as a weapon against the United States.
While many might expect a president to try to expand his powers, particularly in times of war and conflict, they would also expect that Congress would take seriously its role as a watchdog over the executive branch. Some in this Congress have been toothless, uninterested watchdogs.
Terrorism is indeed a serious subject. But so to is ensuring that the founding principles authored so eloquently by Jefferson are protected today. It’s something for all Americans to consider on this day marking the country’s independence.
(The editorial is here.)
The Mankato (MN) Free Press
On this Fourth of July, with concerns of executive branch overreach and lack of oversight by Congress, it is especially instructive to look at the core tenet of the document that we are celebrating.
In penning the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson forwarded a truly revolutionary concept: That the United States government would exist only to safeguard the rights of the people it governed.
From the start, that stunning idea has been difficult to adhere to. Elected and appointed government officials, from the president down, have always had some conflict with that concept. Making laws and policy that benefit the country can conflict with the protection of individual rights.
Still, the erosion of those rights in recent years should be reason for concern on this Independence Day.
President Bush has made broad use of his executive powers, from warrantless wiretaps and collecting phone records on millions of Americans, to holding suspected terrorists overseas without legal protections and even considering using the military to patrol the United States border.
The president claims the right to infringe of long-standing rights because of the need to fight terrorism. But there is no compelling evidence that the overreach for power is necessary to get good anti-terorrism intelligence.
The argument is also problematic because the so-called “war on terrorism” is unlikely to have an ending point, meaning the excuse to step on civil rights will have no ending point. America had been fortunate to escape the horrors of terrorism for as long as it has. But it’s now likely that foes will from herein use terrorism as a weapon against the United States.
While many might expect a president to try to expand his powers, particularly in times of war and conflict, they would also expect that Congress would take seriously its role as a watchdog over the executive branch. Some in this Congress have been toothless, uninterested watchdogs.
Terrorism is indeed a serious subject. But so to is ensuring that the founding principles authored so eloquently by Jefferson are protected today. It’s something for all Americans to consider on this day marking the country’s independence.
(The editorial is here.)
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