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Issue: The Purpose
of Government
Date: September 27, 2004
Author: Ken Larsen
I am considering voting for you on November 2, 2004. I would like to know
what you think the purpose of government is. How you will bring this about
as Governor; and where you stand on public education. Please get back to me.
[voter]
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Answer:
Thank you for your interest.
Article I, Section 27 of the Utah Constitution advises us to refer
frequently to our fundamental principles. Those principles are listed in the
Declaration of Independence:
1. All are equal. There is no aristocracy, there are no masters,
there are no slaves.
2. All have unalienable rights. "Unalienable" means they are not to
be violated. Those equal individual rights include life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. And, since our rights are equal, we do not have the
right to violate each others' rights, even if a majority are willing to vote
for that violation. Thus, the majority do not have the right to use
government to violate your property for the private benefit of others. Nor
do they have the right to violate your pursuit of happiness and tell you how
to live your own life, as long as you are not harming or endangering others.
3. All just power of government comes from the people. Thus, we are
one nation under the people. The Republic should be pledging its allegiance
to the people, not the other way around. In fact, all officers of the
government are required to pledge their allegiance to the will of the
people, as established in our Constitution. We, the people, are sovereign
and the government is our servant.
4. The only just purpose of government is to protect and defend the
equal individual rights of the people. This is the answer to your question.
It is not the job of government to provide jobs, entertainment,
transportation, health care, education, housing, food or retirement
benefits. Nor is it the job of government to force us to live healthy and
moral lives. I realize it is a long way from here to the kind of government
our Founders described. I also realize we should take the trip as carefully
as we can and avoid causing harm or chaos along the way. Some of our
addictions to "parental" government may take a generation or more to cure,
but ultimately, we need to go through "government rehab."
5. When government violates our rights, or neglects to protect them,
it becomes the duty of the people to organize and repair the government,
even to replace it, if necessary. That is why I have helped form the
Personal Choice Party. I hope
you will go to our website and
check us out.
Thank you for your inquiry.
Ken
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