2015 May 20^th

Cal Thomas presents us with a glowing tribute to Alexander Hamilton and the wisdom of states’ rights.  Thomas contrasts big government with individual liberty. “Hillary Clinton is captive to the notion that big government, not individual liberty, is best. Of course it usually takes federal (big) government to guarantee individual liberty.  This is often imperfectly done; the right to vote, an important gate to liberty, is being closed to many under the guise of protecting the franchise from fraud.

After WW 2 there were states that prohibited some returning servicemen from eating in certain restaurants or sleeping in certain hotels or attending certain schools. These liberties were abrogated by states but subsequently restored by the federal (big) government. The Democratic Party that pushed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through Congress turned the previously solid Democratic south Republican. The Democratic Party through the federal (big) government had eliminated the freedom of the southern bigots to discriminate.

There were also anti-miscegenation laws enacted by states that prohibited “interracial” marriage. If it were up to the states those laws would still exist; thankfully they do not and “race” is no longer a barrier to marriage.

Unfortunately, for Cal Thomas’ argument it is apparent that the states are still busy trying to restrict freedom and it is the federal government and the courts that are the protectors of it. The most recent flap is the attempt by some states to restrict the use of restrooms. From restricting the availability of abortions to restricting the use of restrooms, the states always seem to be in the forefront of restricting freedoms.

Thomas has a curious willingness to revere a constitution that originally restricted the right to vote to white, male property owners. Keep in mind that these white, male property owners could only vote for electors and these electors actually did the voting for the president and vice president. There was then, and there still is, a profound distrust of the common man by the party leaders.

Winston Churchill, hardly the typical Englishman, is said to have commented that the best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter. Then along comes George Carlin to remind us that at least half of all voters are below average. Maybe Plato had something.