Not Yours to Give

A while back, I began explaining my political philosophy, but I never got to finish because a little hussy named Katrina got me distracted for a bit. Tonight however, Katrina gave me the perfect opportunity to continue my discussion when our so-called conservative Republican president got up in front of the t.v. cameras and pledged $200 billion of taxpayer money to rebuild New Orleans, et. al. If you remember, I explained that we cannot delegate to government any power that we don't have the right to do ourselves, even if it is for a benevolent purpose. Once upon a time, someone else made the same assertion. That someone else was none other than David Crockett - yes, he of the coonskin cap, killed him a bar when he was only three, died at the Alamo, and was a congressman from Tennessee. This is a long article, but well worth it if you want to really know how our government was originally supposed to operate. This is a reprint of a passage from Crockett's biography, which was published in 1884. It is one of the best treatises on the proper role of government that I have ever read. Enjoy this wonderful read, and also remember what James Madison had to say: "I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents."

Good Day to You, Sir