There I was in the passenger seat…  the driver was my son, early in his driving lessons.  I have always been committed to home schooling, but driving is my least favorite – by far – of all subjects to teach them.  I sent them to driving school, thinking I would let the “experts” teach them, but even then, they came home from their school with a long list of tasks that I am supposed to teach and sign off…  There are so many variables, so many conditions that affect and determine the right thing vs the wrong thing, in a given situation.  After covering subjective lessons like how far one should move over toward the side of the road for an oncoming car, or how much speed is appropriate for a situation without becoming unsafe, at last, we came to a situation that had a clear delineation of responsibility – the 4-way stop. 

I remember well the guidance I received in my own driving school about 4 way stops, although it was many, many years ago.  The car that arrives first proceeds first…  easy stuff!  If two cars arrive at the same time, then the one to the right goes first – simple!  I remember back in the day how my driving teacher explained these rules would ensure an orderly flow of traffic through the intersection.  As my son and I approached the 4-way stop, I began sharing these timeless truths of driving excellence with him.  😊  At last, a driving scenario with a clear, objective way it is to be handled.  My son approached, while another car to his right also approached the intersection and it appeared we would both stop at the same time.  I quickly explained to my son that the other car is to his right and would therefore proceed first.  That’s what the rules say…  But what happened at the intersection?  The driver of the other car looked at us and waved us on!  As if the waving of his hand can replace the rules of the road and decades of driver’s education that is all there for a reason! 

Undoubtedly, the other driver was trying to be cordial and nice.  But as I explained to my son, we all have duties and when we faithfully carry out those duties, the traffic flows in the safest and most efficient way.  We are not doing anyone any favors if we waive our duties on to someone else.  I thought of our federal officials and their duties under the Constitution…

Who Has legislative power?

Article1, Section 1, literally the first line of the United States Constitution that bears the force of law (the Preamble does not), says, “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.”  Don’t miss what this line says.  It says all the legislative power that the Constitution grants – legislative power simply means power to make law – is vested in Congress!  So there is no other Constitutional entity in the federal government that may make law. 

Why is this significant?  As we discussed in our article, A Farmer’s Lesson on Holding Elected Officials Accountable, Americans (like Mr. Bunce in the article) can directly hold their Representative (like Representative David Crockett in the article) accountable for sticking to their Constitutional limitations.  If they fail to stay within their Constitutional boundaries, we can vote them out of office the next election – which is why our founders made the elections for Representatives so frequent – every two years.  We have lots of opportunity – by design – to get rid of bad Representatives!  This is a Constitutional protection that we citizens enjoy to protect against bad law.  All laws are made by Congress, and we have opportunity every two years to replace our Congressional Representative. 

what’s up with all the federal agencies

However, in contrast nowadays, we often hear of copious federal regulations being placed upon Americans by a wide range of federal agencies.  There are a variety of organizations that issue myriad regulations that carry the force of law and affect the lives and liberties of Americans.  These regulations tell us what we can or can’t do with our property, they “infringe” upon the rights of Americans to keep and bear weapons of particular shapes, sizes, or colors, they interfere with issues of family and church jurisdiction, and the list goes on and on until most every part of our lives are affected by this pretended legislation.  All of these regulations wage war on our American freedoms and since Congress has “waived” this jurisdiction over to these agencies – there is often no recourse for Americans. 

These agencies are making pretended “laws” restricting Americans, all while they are sworn to support a Constitution that says in the first line that all such authority is given only to Congress!  I have no ability to vote these administrative bureaucrats out of office.  I have no voice with them, yet they exert powerful control over my life and freedom.  This is not the way our system of government was designed to work.  The 3 legitimate branches of government have Constitutional checks and balances to keep each other in line.  This 4^th branch – which is foreign to our Constitution – operates with a surprising level of independent power and sovereignty.  It is past time we take that power back where it belongs. 

will you reign in federal agencies?

The next time you hear of someone running for Congress, please consider asking them a question…  ask them what they will do to get control of the federal agencies who are pretending to pass “laws” out of the reach of American citizens.  Ask them what they will do to restore the first line of the Constitution that promises all legislative powers granted in that great document will be vested in Congress.  Ask them what they will do to return America to operate within the limits of the greatest government document ever written – the United States Constitution. 

We don’t want people representing us in Congress who simply waive their legitimate legislative authority over to some unelected federal agency – we want our Representatives to keep that authority where it belongs – in Congress.  When our representatives pull up to the Constitutional 4 way stop, and it is their Constitutional duty to go…  we want them to GO!!