Resolve to limit federal government
New Year's Day is a time for reflection. I pray that this year our elected representatives will reflect upon our nation's recent past and future prospects.
On Christmas Day 1991, the Soviet Union officially ceased, ending over 70 years of repression and 45 years of “cold war.” U.S. leaders then promised a “peace dividend,” resulting from the return of American troops from abroad and the redistribution of funds from defense needs to the American people in the form of tax cuts and infrastructure improvements. Those Americans who fought in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, and those who paid for the “cold war” would see the fruits of their sacrifices. It never happened.
Today, there are more than 369,000 active duty U.S. military personnel deployed in over 150 countries around the world; yet, we are not officially “at war” with any country. One has to wonder, What nations or interests benefit?
Today, our national debt approaches $14 trillion, yet the federal government continues to lavish money that it does not have on favored persons and causes here and abroad under the pretense that Congress has the Constitutional power to do so under the Commerce Clause. What freedoms have we lost as a result?
Each individual American shares the blame for not holding our elected leaders and our judges accountable to the principles that are embodied within our Constitution, a document that was designed to limit the powers of the federal government, the president and the Congress. We have not.
A recent Rasmussen Poll indicated that 27 percent of Americans would prefer a federal government central-managed economy. How tragic it is that, after all of the years of sacrifice, 27 percent of Americans today prefer living under Communism. That may be our future unless we again commit ourselves to our Constitution and our Republic.
Greg Guckenberger
Batavia