Corruption of the People
An essay by Justin D. Lowry
Some of the most powerful words in the United States history are "We the people". These days, we the people fail to realize the power we have, and the power we are losing. The government and the economy are in our hands. We hire and fire our representatives in Washington and our state capital. Instead, consider campaigns as interviews for the job. A senator does not do a job the way you see fit then fire them.
The economy is also in our hands. How well a company does and their prices depend on us. Boycott is our power to defend us from corruption and overpriced goods. If a product is too high, shop elsewhere. If a CEO embezzles money, he must face the jury of the court of public opinion.
So, we have established that the government is in our hands, but what happens when we the people become corrupt? People are corruptible, so the government is corruptible because it is comprised of people. Therefore, we the people are just as corruptible, if not more so.
When the government serves us, what happens when our demands become too selfish? The responsible thing is to not ask the government to take care of you, but to take care of the country. Whenever the people demand the government to take care of them, the people become dependent upon the government. When the people become dependent upon the government, power slowly transfers from the people to the government. Instead, you should take on personal responsibility for yourself and your group. Instead of seeking government assistance, seek out charity and groups of your cause. If the government sets up to help a certain group of people, it surely will infringe upon another.
When you have so many groups of people seeking the assistance, the government could never help everyone. Therefore, it should help no one. They get this mentality of "My needs are greater than others, so forget what they need and serve me." While all of these groups needs are important, it is not the government’s duty to take care of special interest. There are charities and support groups for this purpose. If charity did not work, they would no longer be around, since charity has existed for centuries.
Do not sell your independence to the government, nor should you sell out the independence of others. Freedom is not free, but a price cannot be placed on it either.