What Are Laws?

I have an honest question for you.  What is a law?  No, seriously.  I don't know anymore.  I used to think that laws came from the legislature.  You know, the ones the People elect to represent their values and beliefs.  I used to think that spending bills originated in the House of Representatives; that the bill must receive two-thirds of the votes in both houses and then were sent to the President for final approval.  Why did I believe that?  Clearly my pocket Constitution states that the CDC, anyone named Anthony Fauci, or publicly traded businesses have sole authority to enact and enforce all laws.  Does yours not say that?  Well according to this week's Newspeak, it has always said this.  James Madison made it a point to concern himself with the people's feelings over their liberty.

So what am I talking about?  A couple weeks ago the CDC "overturned" the end of the moratorium on housing evictions due to the pandemic.  Here's what happened.  During the height of the pandemic, President Trump instituted a ban on evictions for renters who couldn’t pay their rent.  On the surface, this makes sense, but only after disregarding the Constitution and shutting down the country.  If you are going to close everyone's businesses and put them out of work, you are required to support these people that no longer have a paycheck coming in.  That's why we should never shut down the country.  But because our government took away your ability to provide your family with food and housing, the government is now responsible for your family's food and housing.  Yeah, good luck getting that restitution.

From what I understand, the President only has the power to do this for a short period of time under the executive branch's emergency powers.  In September of 2020, the President, for some reason, needed the CDC's approval to continue this usurpation of power.  Not sure why the CDC has that power, but it's clear they have no business dictating policy.  It must be in Article 1 Section 12.  Anyway, the CDC then granted his request and said, "Sure we will take on more power, where do we sign?"  For some reason, again none of this makes any sense for a constitutional republic, they have these restrictions on how long any one edict can last, but there doesn't seem to be any restrictions on the number of edicts.  So naturally, they just extended this moratorium on evictions once more.  I'm starting to think the CDC needs to change their name to CPC (Center for People Control) or maybe even CCP.  Yeah, that one rolls right off the tongue.  Let's go with that one.  I apologize for my demeanor today.  I'm in one of those moods.

Ok.  So why does this matter?  Like I said, if government is going to prevent you from working, they should pick up the tab on your monthly expenses.  I agree, for a very short period of time; however, neither of these statements work 18 months into a pandemic.  I would like to know where in this country are you still locked down and unable to get a job?  I really would like to know.  Sure there are small pockets of terrified people out there, but I don't see them.  Here in South Carolina, we are wide open and have been for almost a year.  We have so many jobs open right now you could have a full time job by just going around collecting signing bonuses.  You can work any hours you want, you get paid well, and you don't even have to be good at your job.  My company has many open positions and we can hardly get applicants.  The last statistic I saw claimed that there are 10.1 million open job positions today.  It's just not true that people can't find a job.  Like most examples of government overreach, they start with a false premise.  They play on our compassion, but they use the smallest minority of cases to sell something that will apply to everyone across the country.  It's our job as citizens to understand their premise and determine if we believe them.

The other problem I have with this edict is the effect it will have on landlords.  Landlords are people too and we need to look out for them as well.   We can't enact laws or unlawful orders that hurt one party over another unless there is sufficient justification.  For example, making slavery illegal was a just law.  Although it really hurt plantations, increased the costs of food, clothing, and most products exported from slaveholding states, it was totally and completely justified.  But understand we were not making economic calculations with that decision.  We did so because it was the right thing to do.  And look what happened, by the way.  This caused a boom in industrialization and innovation that shot us into the 20th century.  In the case of eviction moratoriums, it’s just plain Fascism.  In other words, its Democratic thinking that allows the desires of a majority of voters to impose on the minority.  James Madison calls it "the most vile form of government".  To his credit, direct democracies without a balance of power is a terrible way to run any group of people. 

So if we have this Constitution that spells out how laws are made and who can make them, what allows the CDC, Dr. Fauci, federal judges, and other bureaucrats to make law?  The answer, the People.  Us.  Understand one thing very clearly.  We are not a nation of laws, but a nation of political will.  What do I mean by this?  You can pass any law you want.  You can pass any edict you want.  If the People consent to that law, the law can be enforced.  If the People do not consent to that law, the law cannot be enforced.  A law that can't be enforced is just words.  That is why the Declaration of Independence states that, "…That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed."  Therefore, if the People don't consent to a law, it is not a just law and governments don't have the right to enforce such a law.  Essentially, the founders were saying, "Don't take no crap from nobody!"

We learned in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s that laws are meaningless unless you are willing to enforce them.  If you feel a conviction to stand up for yourself, do so.  Trust the People to follow you if you can show them that you are justified in your action.  Rosa Parks decided not to comply.  Those Men at the lunch counter in North Carolina decided they were not going to comply.  Remember, Christians are not supposed to uphold the law.  Christians are to uphold righteous law only.  If someone tells you to do something against your conscience, don’t comply.  If someone uses coercion or intimidation to force your hand, stand tall.  But if someone lashes out at you, be calm.  If someone strikes you, turn the other cheek.  If someone arrests you, go peacefully.  Do not resist any evil done to you, but do not accept their coercion or their tyranny.  Because it's not to your detriment, but to the detriment of all humanity if we fail to pass liberty to the next generation.  I want to close with this statement from James Madison.

“I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.” - James Madison

This statement is the embodiment of what progressivism is in America.  They take away your liberty bit-by-bit until you no longer recognize your country.  They take such little bites, that it becomes difficult to justify rebellion.  Most Americans don't think wearing a mask is a big deal.  Most Americans don't think taking your shoes off at the airport is a big deal.  Most Americans don't think taxing income, and property, and sales, and market gains, and food, and death is a big deal.  As long as they get their TikTok and their vacay, you can do anything to them.  Don't say we didn't see it coming.  Madison warned us about it before our system of government was even fully established.  If you feel threatened, speak up.  If you’re being coerced, stand up.  Have courage.  Have faith.  In all things, do them to the glory of God.