Biden, “we screwed up …” the Constitution?

Personal Freedom and Prosperity 102: Acquiring and Possessing Property

That all Men are born equally free and independant, and have certain inherent natural Rights,…; among which are the Enjoyment of Life and Liberty, with the Means of acquiring and possessing Property, and pursueing and obtaining Happiness and Safety.
-Virginia Declaration of Rights – 1776

 

Biden, “we screwed up …” the Constitution?

Biden claims that the Obama Administration “screwed up in the first iteration” of requiring religious organizations to provide contraceptives to all employees.

The media and politicians have presented the controversy as woman’s rights versus religious convictions.  Senators Boxer, Murray and Shaheen         maintain this is an important women’s issue Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius claims providing contraception will pay for itself in lower births and fewer abortions. Generally, the Catholic Bishops support the healthcare mandates, but want a waiver in accordance with the first amendment’s freedom of religion. 

These statements resonate with various factions of the America public.  Clearly, Democrat and Republican political strategists are developing political messages on both sides of the controversy to influence the November election.  This is how modern politics is played.

Completely ignored by the strategists, elected politicians and most Americans is our government’s duty to protect people and property from the force of others – including the coercive power of government.  What’s missing from the Vice President, the Senators and the Bishops statements is:  “Does taking money from every American to supply contraceptives deprive Americans of the use and enjoyment of their money?”  Absolutely!   When money is taken by theft or government edict, a person’s ability to save, invest or spend is diminished.  In essence, theft or a government tax is taking, by force, a part of a person’s labor. 

America’s Founders were dedicated to liberty.  The Founders knew free people must keep and utilize the fruits of their labor.  A paramount duty of government is to protect people and their rightfully gained property.  In 1776, George Mason authored the Virginia Declaration of Rights emphasizing the right to acquire and possess property for the enjoyment of life, liberty, happiness and safety.

That all Men are born equally free and independant, and have certain inherent natural Rights,…; among which are the Enjoyment of Life and Liberty, with the Means of acquiring and possessing Property, and pursueing and obtaining Happiness and Safety.

Biden ignores liberty as well as government’s duty to protect property and religious liberty.  Instead, Biden talks about what he perceives as an important government mandate – supplying free contraceptives, as stated on The Hill.com:

“What is happening now is that we have been able to provide what was hard to set up — it got screwed up in the first iteration — in that any hospital, no matter where it is, no matter who runs it, profit or non-profit, religious-based or otherwise, has to provide insurance to their employees like everybody else does,” Biden said. 

Biden has no concern about political philosophy and good governance.  He only regrets failing to talk to the Bishops and to make a “deal.”

“The fact of the matter is, the ultimate resolution to this problem is where it should have been in the first place,” the vice president said. “I was the one that was tasked to meet with the National Conference of Bishops, and others and Cardinal [Tim] Dolan, to talk about this.”

Governing for liberty is of no concern to the Vice President, the Senators or the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Compare today’s political elites to the great politicians and founders of America.  James Madison, the philosophical and political architect of the Constitution, wrote:

Government is instituted to protect property of every sort; as well that which lies in the various rights of individuals… This being the end of government, that alone is a just government, which impartially secures to every man, whatever is his own.

 John Adams powerfully wrote:

The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it anarchy and tyranny commence. If “Thou shalt not covet,” and “Thou shalt not steal,” were not commandments of heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society before it can be civilized or made free.

America has deviated from our philosophical foundation.  To restore liberty, every person seeking freedom must know the absolute necessity of “acquiring and possessing property,” and government “…impartially secures to every man, whatever is his own.”

If property is not protected, more and more interest groups with political and social agendas will commandeer the coercive power of government. Society must  protect lawfully obtained property.  If not, dysfunctional governance will continue, and liberty will decline.