micahnelson
09-07-2007, 07:14 AM
I wrote over on my blog (http://www.micahnelson.com) about the debate, just wanted to let ya'll see if you were interested.
Debate Reaction 1: Life, Liberty, and the Role of Government
All of the Republican candidates on the stage last night in New Hampshire, with one exception, implied that the primary purpose of the federal government is to keep us alive. While the protection of American citizens is vital to the preservation of our republic, that is not its primary function.
The primary function of the federal government is to preserve our liberties.
To illuminate the historical profundity of this statement, it must be accompanied by a slightly tangential discussion of the nature of government. It should be noted as a matter of truth and substance that Rudy Giulliani’s assertion that the Bill of Rights grants liberties, the keeping of arms specifically, is a dangerous misrepresentation of the nature of our constitution. If the Declaration of Independence, and the subsequent Constitution of the United States were merely an enumeration of the rights and privileges granted to citizens by their government, then we have little position to take pride in their authorship. Centuries of history and scores of societies...
Read More... (http://www.micahnelson.com/?p=112)
Debate Reaction 1: Life, Liberty, and the Role of Government
All of the Republican candidates on the stage last night in New Hampshire, with one exception, implied that the primary purpose of the federal government is to keep us alive. While the protection of American citizens is vital to the preservation of our republic, that is not its primary function.
The primary function of the federal government is to preserve our liberties.
To illuminate the historical profundity of this statement, it must be accompanied by a slightly tangential discussion of the nature of government. It should be noted as a matter of truth and substance that Rudy Giulliani’s assertion that the Bill of Rights grants liberties, the keeping of arms specifically, is a dangerous misrepresentation of the nature of our constitution. If the Declaration of Independence, and the subsequent Constitution of the United States were merely an enumeration of the rights and privileges granted to citizens by their government, then we have little position to take pride in their authorship. Centuries of history and scores of societies...
Read More... (http://www.micahnelson.com/?p=112)