The Constitution is not a gift from government. It’s a declaration of our authority. It is a compact among the American people, drafted by our Founders and ratified by representatives chosen to reflect our will. Local, state and federal governments were created by us; not to rule over us, but to serve us. They enjoy no rights of their own. Only obligations.
Our Rights: Birthright and Codified
Americans are born with certain inalienable rights – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. You’ve heard that phrase before. It’s found in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence. These are not rights granted by politicians or bureaucrats. They are ours by virtue of being human. Other rights, like the freedom to vote, assemble, speak freely and govern ourselves, were asserted and codified through struggle, debate and democratic action. We gave them to ourselves. We built institutions to protect them. And we entrusted government with the solemn duty to uphold them.
But that trust has been betrayed.
The Trumpist Assault on Popular Sovereignty
Donald Trump and his enablers are waging a relentless campaign to undermine the authority of the American people. They lie with impunity, refuse to appear before constituents, dodge accountability and treat criticism as treason. They violate constitutional norms, attempt to restrict birthrights and impose their will through fear, manipulation and legislative sabotage.
To be blunt, theirs is an insurrection against the very idea of democracy.
Republican officials increasingly hide from town halls, censor dissent and attempt to gerrymander their way out of electoral consequences. They pass laws that silence voters, criminalize protest and strip away rights that were never theirs to revoke. They act as if power is theirs by divine right. It…is… not. They refuse to acknowledge that all power rests in the hands of the American electorate.
Government Has No Rights – Only Duties
Let’s be clear: government has no rights. It has responsibilities. It exists to carry out the will of the people. When it defies that will, it forfeits legitimacy. When elected officials refuse to answer to the public, they abandon their oath. When they try to restrict our rights, whether birth rights or those we granted ourselves, they are not leaders. They are usurpers.
Defend What Is Yours
It is the time for fierce defense. Every right we enjoy was either born into us or won through struggle. None were handed down by benevolent rulers. And none should be surrendered to self-serving authoritarians.
This is not the time for disagreement. If you don’t believe that to be true, please consider a quote from the German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemoller, written after the Second World War:
“ First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.”
Speak out. Show up. Vote. Protest. Write. Organize. Hold the line.
If we don’t defend our rights, no one else will.