The second in a three-part series...Patriotism, Politics, and Poop

Politics. I have an interest in politics, mainly because most places I look, I see it being done so wrongly. Of course, votes or public policy positions regarding matters of morality are fairly easy to distinguish. But aside from that, what truly drives my thinking is big government versus small government. The MS Center for Public Policy lists 10 governing principles. I will discuss 2 of them.

"Government exists to protect rights, not to create them" - The Declaration of Independence states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men... Government should "secure" rights, not create them. Unalienable rights require nothing from anyone else, except respect. Compare this with the current thought that it is my "right" to free healthcare. I won't even try to go into all of the complexities and enforcement and regulators and agencies necessary to provide this "right." And providing that for me will most certainly require something from others...their money! Is such an idea a product of big government or small government?

"Individuals are ultimately responsible for governing themselves and for the consequences of their decisions" - This principle basically speaks to the need for personal responsibility. Due to the US government enabling this kind of thinking, many Americans today depend on government programs for income, housing, healthcare, and education. Food and and shelter are no longer the product of hard work but are viewed as "rights," "or "entitlements." I know it's easy to say this and point the finger when I've never had to skip a meal or sleep on the streets, but even in those situations, there is still personal responsibility. As an aside, churches and other private charities have proven over and over to be far more effective at lending aid than the government can ever do. Again, big government or small government...

You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves. ~Abraham Lincoln

The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' ~Ronald Reagan