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*************************************** The Goldwater Doctrine "I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them. It is not to inaugurate new programs, but to cancel old ones that do violence to the Constitution, or that have failed in their purpose, or that impose on the people an unwarranted financial burden. I will not attempt to discover whether legislation is 'needed' before I have first determined whether it is constitutionally permissible. And if I should later be attacked for neglecting my constituents' interests, I shall reply that I was informed their main interest is liberty and that in that cause I am doing the very best I can." - Barry Goldwater, "The Conscience of a Conservative" *************************************** Pssssst! In Case You Missed It Yesterday was Constitution Day. Not many people noticed. Guess it got bumped off the news by Hurricane SheilaJacksonLee. But Harry Brown, the former Libertarian Party candidate - who's a little off the reservation when it comes to killing terrorists before they kill us - didn't forget...and is dead-on accurate about the sad state of constitutional government in the country today. Here are some excerpts from his Constitution Day column: ***QUOTE*** The Constitution was supposed to spell out what government can do and what it can't do. The government's few legal functions are listed in Article 1, Section 8. It was a revolutionary document, in that no government in history had ever had its duties and restrictions so carefully defined. Despite frequent violations of the Constitution by the government, the document did its job reasonably well for the first hundred years - making America the freest country in history. As late as 1887, when Congress passed a bill providing federal relief to drought-stricken Texas farmers, Grover Cleveland vetoed it, saying, "I can find no warrant for such an appropriation in the Constitution." But that was about the last gasp for limited, Constitutional government. Because the Constitution wasn't self-enforcing, it depended on the good intentions of politicians - something Thomas Jefferson specifically warned against in 1798 when he said, "In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution." ...But by the end of the 1800s, too many Americans had lost their fear of government and politicians. The introduction of government schools had made it almost certain that most children would never learn the importance of binding down government with the chains of the Constitution. And so government was transformed in the public mind from a necessary-but-dangerous evil into "the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else," as Frédéric Bastiat described it. More and more, the Constitution became a political toy, to be tossed about, invoked, ignored, or misrepresented - whatever suited a given politician's agenda at any given moment. The income tax amendment in 1913 hammered the final nail into the coffin of limited, constitutional government. Now the politicians had not only the authority, but also the unlimited revenue, to do whatever they wanted. It seems very, very unlikely, for example, that Americans would have been dragged into World War I if the government hadn't had the unlimited revenue to finance it. Even the Bill of Rights - which eliminates all ambiguity by spelling out specific things the government may not do - was relegated to second place behind the needs of politicians. By the first World War, the Supreme Court had decided that the words "Congress shall make no law . . . " don't really mean that "Congress shall make no law . . . " They mean only that the government must have a "compelling interest" in doing something. Not surprisingly, the government employees on the Court almost always decide that the government does have a compelling interest. Those conservatives who still care about the Constitution say that it should be taught in the schools. As though government employees will emphasize the original purpose of the Constitution in restraining government. Instead, they'll give snap quizes on such weighty questions as "How many years in a Senator's term?" or "Who appoints the Supreme Court justices?" If the American people are to learn the importance of limited, Constitutional government, we have to teach them ourselves. But people aren't interested in academic lectures on constitutional government. They're far more interested in their own lives - and rightly so. That's why repealing the federal income tax is our best tool. We can offer them the reward of never paying income tax again in exchange for giving up any unconstitutional federal programs. The next time you want someone to understand the importance of the Constitution, try approaching him this way . . . If we repeal the federal income tax and yours is an average American family, you'll have at least $10,000 a year more to spend or invest. What will you do with that money? . Will you put your children in a private school, where they can get whatever kind of education you want for them? . Will you help your favorite cause or charity in a way you've never been able to do before? . Will you start that business you've always wanted, plan a better retirement, send your children to college? All you have to do in return is to restrict the government to the Constitution - giving up whatever pittance unconstitutional government provides to you personally. If you try this, you may be surprised to find that the Constitution isn't such a hard sell after all. And maybe someday Constitution Day will mean something again. ***UNQUOTE*** *************************************** Life & Death In Florida As noted by CNSNews.com, Terri Schiavo is a "39-year-old woman who suffered a brain injury under questionable circumstances in 1990." She's been unconscious and hospitalized ever since. Shortly after receiving a $1.2 million malpractice award in 1998, Terri's husband Michael started petitioning courts to have Terri's life-sustaining feeding tube removed. He 's also since fathered a child with another woman who he can't marry because he's still legally married to Terri. Under the circumstances, to grant Michael custody on whether or not to pull the plug on his unconscious wife would appear to be a HUGE conflict of interest. Nevertheless, Florida Circuit Court Judge George Greer has set October 15th as the day Terri Schiavo will have her feeding tube removed. She's expected to die within 10 to 15 days of starvation if this is allowed to happen. Terri's parents, encouraged by the opinion of "some medical professionals" that therapy and rehabilitation "could improve her condition," are petitioning the federal courts to remove Michael as Terri's legal guardian and give them custody. According to Terri's parents, Michael has denied any kind of rehabilitative therapy for his wife since he cashed his lawsuit windfall check. There are also allegations of spousal abuse surfacing. To say the least, something here stinks like yesterday's diapers. BRUSHFIRE ALERT: If you'd like more information on this life-and-death issue and what you can do to help keep Judge Greer from letting Terri die, go to: http://www.terrisfight.org/ *************************************** How to Subscribe If you'd like to receive our FREE News & Views e-newsletter, you can sign up at: http://www.chuckmuth.com/newsletter/ Published by Citizen Outreach Chuck Muth Editor/Publisher 611 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, #439 Washington, DC 20003-4303 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Citizen Outreach is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public policy organization and does not endorse candidates or lobby for specific legislation. The opinions and views expressed in Chuck Muth's News & Views reflect those of the writers, editors and columnists therein and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Citizen Outreach, its officers, directors or employees. To be REMOVED, go to: http://www.chuckmuth.com/remove/default.cfm and complete the removal request instructions you'll find there. 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