In the Declaration of Independence it says, “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.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” There are three key points to understand here.
1- “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted...” Government’s duty is to secure rights, not infringe on them. We have unalienable rights to freely assemble. We have unalienable rights to conduct commerce as we see fit. We have an unalienable right to Liberty. What does Liberty really mean? Merriam Webster refers to it this way, “the quality or state of being free, the power to do as one pleases, freedom from physical restraint, freedom from arbitrary or despotic control, the positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges, the power of choice.” The Salina City Commission violated your ‘power of choice’, your liberty. How?
2-Governments, including the Salina City Commission, “derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.” It is established law in the State of Kansas (KSA 48-929) that emergency management is the function of county governments, unless a city is otherwise designated by the Governor as needing to establish its own emergency management agency. Salina is not one of those cities. In other words, the people have not given their ‘consent’ to the Salina City Commission to enact restrictions during a declared emergency. It is not their job.
3-” It is the right of the people to alter…” government. The proposed ordinance is simply to ensure that the Salina City Commission does not overstep its authority again and sidestep the consent of the governed. It is not only the citizen’s right, but responsibility, to limit government. It has been true throughout history, that as governments expand, liberty retracts. It happens in a hideous political tug-of-war where one faction gains control of power and enforces it’s will on the other. This is not the purpose of government. It needs to be checked so that we can get back to work on the things we have in common like fixing roads, replacing aging infrastructure, and maintaining public property.
Some final thoughts. Ask yourself these key questions: Do I honestly believe that five elected commissioners, who meet once a week for a couple hours, are somehow going to protect my health and safety? Are not my health and safety my own responsibility? Who is trying to scare me and who is trying to inform me? There are two websites you can look at, one for those opposed to the ordinance and one for those in favor of it. Look for yourself: www.salinafreedom.com supports the ordinance and www.salinansforfacts.org opposes it. See which one uses hyperbole and fear and which one gives you clear, concise information. One of these websites was paid for by the people who live in this community and one of them was paid for by a Washington DC based activist organization. One of these groups has attempted to intimidate people by publishing the petition with names and addresses allegedly to encourage people to confront them. If you want to know what your neighbor thinks then just ask. Make your own informed choice. Read the ordinance. This is not about health and safety. It’s about YOU having the right to do what is best for YOU and ME having the right to do what is best for ME, rather than THEM doing what THEY think is best for US. It’s that simple; Vote YES if you believe in Liberty. Vote ‘NO’ if you believe in government.
Rodney E. Penn
Salina