Constitution promotes peace

Today marks the 222nd anniversary of the signing of the greatest peace document ever struck by the hand of mankind.

The United States Constitution promotes peace through its restraint of government violence. History shows that government power through the hands of officials, elected or otherwise, results in the use of force upon individuals, thereby making peace very hard to achieve.

The framers of the Constitution understood the nature of government - that government power is the greatest threat to all of mankind. History shows that power in the hands of a few, or many, results in death, destruction and the loss of individual liberty.

Examples abound from Europe to Asia to America. It matters not the type of government in question. Power given to individuals has the natural tendency to devolve into tyranny.

The beauty of the Constitution - and the gift given to all of mankind by its framers - is how this remarkable document keeps the power of government officials in check. Not only is power disseminated between three branches of government in order that tyranny can be kept at bay, but each of these three branches is given an extremely limited amount to do.

There are only 18 responsibilities given to the Congress, only six given to the president and there are only 11 types of cases that the United States Supreme Court may hear in which it can get itself involved.

Nowhere in the Constitution does it allow for government officials to provide health care. Nowhere in the Constitution does it allow for government officials to provide jobs for individuals. Nowhere in the Constitution does it allow for government officials to bail out or even loan money to businesses. The general welfare does not mean specific welfare.

Nowhere in the Constitution does it allow government officials to restrict the ownership of firearms, restrict speech or allow government officials to arbitrarily, without a warrant, rummage through an individual's personal belongings.

Government by its nature is a war machine. As the founders understood, and President George Washington so eloquently stated, "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." The framers knew that if not contained, like fire, government officials would spread their violence throughout society as has been done throughout history.

To prevent violence and to promote peace, the framers structured a society whereby government power in the hands of a few is restrained allowing the minimum amount of violence to take place.

Government has no other means to accomplish any goal, but through the use of force. Taxes, the only source of revenue for government to operate, are forced from the individual. There is no choice in the matter, at least not without severe repercussions.

A free market and individual liberty, on the other hand, promote peace because individuals are allowed to make their own choice about what they do with their money. Peace exists in such an environment because no one is forced by a government official to make a choice.

This does not necessarily mean any threats, extortion or criminal activity occurs. It is just that government force is restricted to defending the individual rights of everyone, not used to interfere or take those rights away.

For health care to be provided by government, government force is used to provide for it. Government officials must take money, through force, from individuals to pay for such an activity. Free individuals, on the other hand, must persuade others to provide health care; hence, the reason for the Constitution resulting in the promotion of peace and keeping the power of government officials in check.

Mankind is truly fortunate to have such a document in place. All that is needed is to see to it that those that are given power follow its precepts. Otherwise, we the people must peacefully remove them from such power. If we the people do not exercise our obligation and maintain a vigilance over those to whom we grant power, then less peace and more violence will prevail.

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Howard J. Blitz is a local libertarian and
president of The Freedom Library Inc.,
2435 S. 8th Ave. His e-mail address is
info@freedomlibrary.org.