What is government? I ask because listening to people talk about it, I get the impression that the predominant view is that "government" is some powerful alien that conquered us and now we're forced to live under its oppressive rule. The catch is, I seem to remember learning something about "government" getting its power from the consent of the governed.
Abraham Lincoln was fond of Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence. He had a tremendous influence over the early development of the Republican Party because of his view that slavery was antithetical to the ideals laid out by the founders. He had other inspirations as well, but Jefferson's work was forefront when Lincoln remarked that the government is "of the people, by the people, and for the people."
So with that said, again I ask, what is government? If it's "of the people," I assume that means that the government is run by people of the nation, not by outsiders. If it's "by the people," I assume that means that its power is granted to it from the people. And finally, if it's "for the people," that should mean that the only reason the government exists is to serve the people.
But if all of this is true, why do so many people complain about the government? Are they just a bunch of masochists? I mean, I think the complaints are justified; the government does do some pretty stupid stuff, but it's your government. If you have a problem with it, in a way, it's your fault.
Now, is all of this to say, "Shut up and get over it?" Not exactly. Instead, think of this as my way of saying, "Stop being so ignorant of what the people we put in government are doing! Go fix it!"
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