“It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. … They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters.” (Daniel Webster)
“I am committed against everything which … may weaken, endanger, or destroy (the Constitution) … and especially against all extension of Executive power … to rule the free people of this country by the power and the patronage of the Government itself.” (Daniel Webster)
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The Big Change
A new day has dawned in America with the inauguration of now President Donald Trump. For some, it’s a day of promise, of hope and change, and of a return to our Judeo-Christian heritage and to our Constitutional principles.
For others, it’s a day of gloom and doom as they see the Obama policies and promises being shredded in front of their eyes and his signature actions regarding health care, climate change, and support for abortion and LGBT “rights” over religious liberty being reversed.
The Big Purpose
But in all of this, perhaps we need to step back and ask a broader question: “What is the purpose of government?” From that point, we can then assess whether or not our presidents, be they Republican or Democrat, are performing their constitutionally defined responsibilities.
Is it, as one poll suggests, a general goal of taking “steps in every area it can to try to improve the lives of its citizens”? If so, it has a high risk of backfiring for, as President Reagan warned, “As government expands, liberty contracts.”
Or is it more limited, as the Declaration of Independence so clearly states, to secure our inalienable rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”?
And could it also be that the predominance of power belongs to the states and to the people rather than to the federal government, as the 10th amendment to the Constitution so clearly states?
The Obama Record
Against that standard, how did the Obama years match up? Did his policies and actions conform to this more limited purpose of government, or was it something else?
For example, could the following actions represent an abuse of federal power and constitutional authority?
1. He demanded universal compliance with the “Affordable Care Act”, including penalties for non-compliance and a disregard for objections of conscience.
2. He refused to enforce work requirements included in the 1996 Welfare Reform Law.
3. He refused to enforce the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act and instead promoted the legalization of same-sex “marriage”.
4. He refused to defend and even encouraged prosecution of businesses and individuals who whose religious beliefs did not allow them to participate in abortion or same-sex “marriages”.
5. He demanded that public schools allow boys who identified as girls to use girls’ restrooms and locker rooms.
6. He refused to secure our borders and to enforce U.S. law regarding certain categories of illegal immigrants.
Trump’s First Steps
Against this background, how do President Trump’s promises and first steps measure up against the well-defined Purpose of Government prescribed in our Founding documents? What do the early hours of his first 100 days tell us in the following examples?
1. Replace Obamacare with optional Health Savings Accounts and more state control.
2. Enforce immigration law, secure our borders, and cancel certain federal funds for sanctuary cities that refuse to enforce the law.
3. Redirect federal funds to give parents more choice for their children’s education, end Common Core, and give control back to local communities.
The Faith & Culture Test
Against these very preliminary examples, what can we expect from a Trump presidency in the Crossroads of Faith and Culture? What are some of our concerns and our hopes?
1. Continued concerns about his moral character and his temperament. Time will tell.
2. Hope in the strong team that surrounds him, beginning with VP Mike Pence.
3. Hope in the foundation of values and principles embedded in the Republican Party Platform and which should help guide him in his decisions.
4. Hope in the prospect of Supreme Court nominee(s) who interpret law by the original intent of the Constitution rather than write new law to reflect their own ideological dispositions.
Crossroads: Why It Matters
To find out more, please join Rita Dunaway, who is also staff counsel for the Convention of States initiative, and me this weekend on one of the following Valley radio stations: WBTX (1470) at 4:00 p.m. today and again on Sunday at 7:30 a.m., WSVA/AM (550) and 92.1 FM at 8:30; and WNLR (1150) at 11:30. You can also listen online HERE anytime.
We deeply appreciate your prayers, your encouragement, and your financial support. All donations are tax-deductible and can be sent by check to Crossroads at PO Box 881, Harrisonburg, 22803.
From the Crossroads Team, for God and Country!
Dean