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Most members of Congress, the Georgia legislature, the Gwinnett county commission, and federal bureaucrats view their job function in the context of these simple fundamentals:
Good government is a game to be played and won
Drafting legislation and trading votes to maximize benefits for my state, party, or constituents are appropriate functions of government
Productive legislation should always benefit somebody or something
All of these statements sound harmless until you consider their full impact and the power behind them.
All laws have a silent partner called force. A law without force is nothing but words. One of my favorite laws is, “Everybody living in Lilburn, GA must pay Wes Alexander $5 per week until Wes reaches the age of 100.” Suppose my neighbors and I voted to expand this law to cover all of Gwinnett County. Being thoughtful people, we would use the proceeds to expand our wisdom and increase overall security. Collection would require enforcement or penalty.
You can see that just law and theft are simply different sides of the same coin. In both cases, force is going to be applied to get the desired results. The folks being required to pay are on one side of the coin; and my neighbors and I are on the other side. One side will use force to resist payment and one side will use force to demand payment. Only one side will be just.
Every law can be classified as “just” or “unjust.” Just law cannot benefit one at the expense of another. Just law defensively protects our lives and property, and it applies to all of us. Anybody in Gwinnett would be considered just if they used force to stop me from taking their money every week. The use of force, even deadly force, is justified so long as it is used defensively.
Legislators that use the law and its silent partner force to enrich their supporters at the expense of others are on the wrong side of the coin. This is no different than the thievery behind my favorite law. You can see how theft has crept into our laws.
The ONLY thing we can morally demand is justice. Justice protects us equally against special interests and favoritism. Make sure your elected leaders know you understand the difference between just and unjust laws.
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