The government Giveth and Taketh Away

In this age where the president received fewer popular votes than his opponent, but won the electoral college, and is nonetheless the least popular president in history, we are reminded that the government giveth and the government try to take away.  In this age, we are reminded that the government giveth and threatens to taketh away as congress moves to deny people life and liberty.

Congress in its infinite wisdom has come to the conclusion – ignoring reports of its own Congressional Budget Office – that denying removing millions of people from health insurance will save money and please constituents.  Denying health insurance is vastly different than denying health care, which the United States also does not pretend to provide as a right.  To make sure that people have no safety net is the most notable part of congressional effort to deny people life.  Congress has voted 54 times on the Affordable Care Act, according to WaPo, and at no time was the vote to improve access and lower cost for health insurance.

The vaunted Declaration of Independence says governments are put among men to secure the Rights of, among others, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  Liberty was further expanded and defined with the First Amendment to include the right to free speech.  Nonetheless, the government put among men by men (the United States government) moves to deny that speech.  Big Money influences government and has convinced Congress to consider a bill to criminalize boycott.  Specifically, the bill would  would impose civil and criminal penalties of up to $1 million and 20 years in prison(!) upon a person who supports the nonviolent BDS movement against Israeli products that contribute to the Palestinian occupation.  Besides the fact that this violates the Right to Free Speech, it is wrong.  Congress is not alone.  North Carolina is the 22nd State to approve an anti-BDS bill, and similar motions for or against boycott are happening around the world.  Congress moveth to taketh away the right to liberty.

It should take neither petitions nor protests to remind Congress to do what is right.  If thou wonderest what ‘right’ it is, the government was put among men, by men, to secure our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, not to take those rights away.