"Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive. Above all, put on love—the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful." ~ Colossians 3:12-15
Do you have pet peeves? I think we all have them and for politics I have a special pet peeve list. This election cycle and transition period have brought every one of them to forefront. So I thought I would share them with you.
- The United States of America is a Constitutional Republic NOT a Democracy. I have heard most political commentators, news anchors, members of Congress and the President all talk about our Democracy. We do practice a form of democracy but we are not a Democracy.
- The Bill of Rights protect each of us from Federal Government overreach ONLY, the Bill of Rights does not apply to private entities, INCLUDING Freedom of Speech. So Facebook or Twitter banning someone is NOT violating their rights. It is why a business or employer outside of the Federal Government can have distinct rules for you to follow.
- Our Government was created to have 3 Co-Equal Branches of Government with different functions. President Obama and his administration ignored this for the most part and he ruled by Executive Order (yes Rule is the correct word.) He could not get Congress to do what he wanted so he went around them. Because much of what he did was by Executive Order, President Trump will have the ability to undo it by Executive Order in basically one Executive Order. Our Country was not created to be RULED by Executive Order and typically those orders survive only so long as a President is in office. For too long we have allowed our government to become dysfunctional. Our Federal Government is supposed to run as follows:
- Congress (House and Senate) are the Legislative Branch, they make the laws and allocate money from the Treasury.
- Presidential Administration is the Executive Branch, it carries out the law created by Congress.
- Supreme Court/Federal Courts are the Judicial Branch, they evaluate FEDERAL law.
- The Constitution is not a living, breathing document and if you disagree with something in the Constitution like the Electoral College or Prohibition there is a process to AMEND the Constitution. However, the Constitution does not change JUST because you dislike it.
- The Declaration of Independence DOES NOT guarantee that all of your dreams will come true. What it says is: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. It is important to note that our rights are not derived from the Government, the government is there to protect our rights. We have forgotten this.
- The Federal Government works for We the People, WE do not work for them and they are not our Rulers. We have the power but ONLY if we choose to Exercise it in accordance with the Constitution. The Federal Government became a behemoth that controls most of our lives because WE the People allowed it to become that.
There are other things politically that irritate me, including the fact that we have elected officials acting like toddlers, but we have allowed them to act this way so it is on all of us. We need to hold the Federal Government to account, we can only do this if we are informed about policy and willing to engage.
Today continue to pray for the Protection, Safety and Enjoyment of all of those headed to DC for the Inauguration. Pray for our Military and First Responders. Pray for National Unity.
Blessings,
Mel
