Servants of the People or Tyrants

Today the debate over health care reform dominates the national news and conversations all across America.  In most polls the American people reject the plan for government-run healthcare.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to really matter to the Obama Administration or the leadership of the House or Senate.

In the end the democratically controlled Congress seems hell-bent on passing what the people say they do not want. They are ignoring the outcry of the people and their outrage simply to pursue a policy which will cause one of the biggest tax increases in history. Are these elected officials functioning as elected servants of the people or have they become tyrants?

In a republican form of government the people elect representatives to serve them at various levels of government from the local city government to the President of these United States.  What the founding fathers envisioned was for the people to elect people of integrity, with good moral standing, and an ability to make wise decisions with the common good in mind.  This would require them to look at every situation from a Constitutional approach. If a proposed regulation or piece of legislation seemed out of alignment with the authority vested in them by the people thru the Constitution they would have the good sense not to approve it.

These elected servants of the people would be charged with having the wisdom and vision to weigh the long term consequences of the proposed legislation to determine the long term effect of the measure as well.  This would mean sometimes they would have to go against what might appear to the people as a good and needed law if it was contrary to the Constitution or in the end was just a bad law.

When it comes to this current push for government controlled health care is the leadership of the people going against the people for the reasons sited above? I think not. First, the measure they are trying to pass fails the test of being within the Constitutional authority given to Congress.  Something of this magnitude and scope, in my opinion, would require a Constitutional Amendment. It is not contained with in the enumerated powers of Article I: Section 8.

Secondly, when you weigh the long term consequences of the proposed measure it fails the test of being in the best interest of the common good of the people.  The effect it will have on medical care, research, and expenditures alone bear out this point.  It will not improve the average level of care but rather will make it worse.

Is it right than for the people to voice their opposition to this disastrous usurpation of authority? Or is it right for the Congress and the Administration to shove it through even if the people don’t want it?  I think the answer is very obvious. In this case the Administration and Congress need to listen to the voice of the people and heed the limits of there Constitutional authority.

If they fail to do so then we get back to that question of whether they are acting as servants of the people or as tyrants.  In this case it would appear the latter holds true.

In Ecclesiastes 10: 7 it says:

“I have seen servants on horses, while princes walk on the ground like servants.”

In America today the elected representative have a system of health care for themselves which is second to none. They are voting on this system of care for the general public which is no where near to it in comparison.  They know it is not as good which is why it will not apply to them. The servants are riding the horse while the people are left to walk on the ground so to speak.

I think in the end we have to come to the conclusion that our elected representatives no longer represent us. They have become tyrants who would enslave us and take away our ability to voice opposition to their un-constitutional actions.  They have become servants who believe they know better than we the people what is good for us. That, my fellow American, is tyranny!