Trying to subvert will of the people
Letter to the Editor,
George Washington in his Farewell Address warned about the decisive influence of factions “to make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted and incongruous projects of faction rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans.” Washington feared, rightly, that unprincipled politicians holding the power of government would eventually subvert the will of the people and that their actions would lead to despotism, should his words not be heeded some 227 years later.
Abraham Lincoln also warned about losing our democracy. “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we lose our freedoms, it will be because we have destroyed ourselves from within.”
The basis of our democracy is that “We the People” give our consent to be governed by the will of the people through elections at the ballot box. Through free and fair elections, the voice of the majority selects representatives who will pass legislation to govern us. A majority vote also determines passage of both state-wide and local issues.
If we expect the great American Experiment penned in Thomas Jefferson’s writing of the Declaration of Independence to endure, then we must continually dedicate ourselves to and live by the principle of majority rule.
Elections can feel empowering or impeding, depending on their outcome. We’ve all experienced the highs and lows of election results. But regardless of how we feel about the outcome, we must accept the results and live by the choice of the people.
Our state legislative representatives have sworn an oath both to the Constitution of the United States and the State of Ohio to support, obey and defend both. Of utmost importance to the Constitution is the separations of power, divided by the executive, judiciary and legislative branches of government. However, there are now some in the Ohio legislature who are proposing they have the power to supersede the judiciary’s power to review cases related to the recently approved Issue 1 ballot measure and that “the Ohio legislature alone will consider what, if any, modifications to make to existing laws.”
Whether we vote for or against proposals, a principal foundation of our democracy is that we accept the will of the people. This is an integral part of the foundation of who we are and how we define ourselves to rest of the world. To disregard the will of the people by lessening the power of one branch of government and putting it into the hands of another branch is a direct threat to our democracy. If you agree, you must let your representatives know. To contact your representative, go to www.OhioHouse.gov.
Greg Stoner
Big Prairie