Recently, I was falsely labeled “antigovernment” by the SPLC [1], and that prompts me to post some clarifying remarks: There is a huge difference between being “antigovernment” and being someone who insists that our government remain our government and that it abide by the law of the land. Constitutional rights are not negotiable.
In our system of government–a Constitutional Republic–we are a nation of laws, with the consent of the governed. In effect, we govern ourselves, through our elected representatives and our appointed officials. Or at least that is how it is supposed to work. I am not a “subject” of the state. I am not a serf. I’m not a vassal. Rather, I am a de jure part of the government, because I’m a Citizen and a part of “We, The People.” I’m in fact a descendant of colonial Americans who pre-dated the Constitution. So, by definition I am not and cannot be “antigovernment.” Yes, there are some current government policies that I oppose. Yes, there has been some legislation that I have opposed. Yes, there have been candidates for public office that I have opposed. And yes, there are some pressure groups (like Mayor Bloomberg’s MAIG [2]) that I oppose. But please don’t call me–and folks like me–“antigovernment,” because we are the government.
In recent years, some government officials (who had been called “public servants”, in a gentler age) have lost sight of who they work for, and they’ve started to look upon the Citizenry as their subjects. Opposition to that view does not make me a rebel. Let me step back for a moment and explain what has happened: During my lifetime, some statist and collectivist insurgents have insidiously risen to positions of power within our government. So I’m what could best be called a counterinsurgent. I’m not trying to tear down the government. Instead, I’m doing my best to restore it.
There is an ongoing culture war in America. On one side are the statists, collectivists, and authoritarians of various stripes. On the other side is America’s traditional freedom-loving and minimalist government-espousing bedrock culture. I represent the latter. Let freedom reign! – JWR [3]