Rights don’t come from government

Bruce Hetrick is wrong in asserting that “We pray and protest under the protection of government” and that
“We … freely publish columns … because of government.” His assertions reveal the progressive mind-set
and belief that we receive our rights from government, and thus man. If this is so, then we should thank government and those
in government for all that they give us—including our rights.

However, the Founding Fathers understood that
receiving our rights from man and governments leads to tyranny of the rulers. Thus, they rightly recognized that the rights
of the people “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.” Rights given to us by man and government can always be changed and taken away by man and
government; but, rights given to us by our Creator can never be taken away by man or government.

“We pray
and protest” not under the protection of government but instead “We the People” prohibit the government
from making laws “respecting the establishment of religion, or the prohibiting the free exercise thereof … or
the right of the people peaceably to assemble.” “We … freely publish columns” because we prohibit
government from “abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.”

I do not thank government for these
rights but thank our servicemen and -women for protecting our rights. One may contend that the armed services are of government
and thus we receive protection from government. This is true; however, the Constitution mandates the government “provide
for the common defense” and thus is a duty of government, not a service they provide out of sheer benevolence. Furthermore,
each armed service member proclaims an oath not to the government of the United States but rather to defend the “Constitution
of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”

I agree government is not a four letter
word, but let us not forget we are not protected because of government but rather (brilliantly and by Providence) the Founding
Fathers insured that we would be protected from government.

__________

Raymond
Vinluan

Marion