“Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.” –George Washington
What did President Washington mean by this quote? His "fire-dangerous servant" analogy presents an interesting dichotomy. Fire can be a useful and beneficial tool. When clearing a forest of undergrowth or cooking food on a campfire, fire is a positive force.
If not closely monitored, it can grow out of control and cause massive harm and destruction. Fire raging out of control becomes a fearful master in that it behaves how it chooses and is difficult to bring back under control.
Sound familiar?
I want to focus on fire’s enemy: water. I traveled to Western Minnesota in 2019. You might recall we experienced devastating flooding in Northern Missouri and throughout the Upper Midwest that year.
Sound familiar?
I want to focus on fire’s enemy: water. I traveled to Western Minnesota in 2019. You might recall we experienced devastating flooding in Northern Missouri and throughout the Upper Midwest that year.
As I drove through the flooded areas, there was destruction all around. Farms were under several feet of water. Barns and homes were destroyed. Farm equipment and personal property could be seen floating where corn, soybeans, and other crops should have been growing. A portion of Interstate 29 in Nebraska was completely washed away. The destruction was shocking.
As I drove further into Minnesota, I passed a mill. The waterwheel was churning away powered by the current of the adjacent creek. I wondered what the mill’s purpose was. There did not appear to be any active logging areas.
As I drove further into Minnesota, I passed a mill. The waterwheel was churning away powered by the current of the adjacent creek. I wondered what the mill’s purpose was. There did not appear to be any active logging areas.
My guess is the mill powered a nearby farm or was used in some phase of food production. What an incredible contrast to the destruction water had caused the previous several hundred miles.
What was different? The water looked the same. The water powering the mill would eventually flow into the flood waters I passed. I wondered whether the water itself would change between here and there.
The flood waters were uncontrolled. They’d grown to the point where they overflowed the banks of rivers, streams, and lakes. The waters had spread into areas where they did not belong. The result was incredible devastation, destruction, and adverse impacts to people’s lives.
In contrast, the water powering the mill was directed within its banks. It flowed in a controlled manner. As such, the water helped provide food and perhaps energy for the farm and community surrounding it.
Government acts in much the same way. When government acts within its boundaries or authority, it can be a force for good. Government can assist communities in improving the lives of citizens and individuals. It can function in areas where state and local governments cannot. When government acts outside of its enumerated powers and makes decisions where it has no authority, government can cause one heck of a mess.
Government can choose to control itself. Yet, control is something that rarely has occurred in any significant time in history. The Framers of the U.S. Constitution understood this. They knew that the tendency of a central government was to grow and consume more power for itself. It’s simply a fallacy of human nature and a constant characteristic of government. Just as water itself is not bad, we citizens are not bad either. The difference is how much resistance exists against the water and also the government.
Politicians are like water. They tend to take the path of least resistance. The role of the grassroots is to provide resistance to government overreach. We must be the banks that resist the tendency of the water to go where it is not supposed to. This is an outcome of having a society of self-governing citizens.
Teaching the principles of self-governance and being involved in the political process are the primary objectives of the Convention of States Project. You’re invited to our Statewide Call tonight on April 12 at 8:00 p.m. Learn about what is happening in Missouri and throughout the country with the Convention of States. You also can visit www.conventionofstates.com for more information. Our Take Action page lists several ways to become involved in the defense of liberty.
The time to use the Constitution to save the Constitution is now.
In liberty,
Brett
What was different? The water looked the same. The water powering the mill would eventually flow into the flood waters I passed. I wondered whether the water itself would change between here and there.
The flood waters were uncontrolled. They’d grown to the point where they overflowed the banks of rivers, streams, and lakes. The waters had spread into areas where they did not belong. The result was incredible devastation, destruction, and adverse impacts to people’s lives.
In contrast, the water powering the mill was directed within its banks. It flowed in a controlled manner. As such, the water helped provide food and perhaps energy for the farm and community surrounding it.
Government acts in much the same way. When government acts within its boundaries or authority, it can be a force for good. Government can assist communities in improving the lives of citizens and individuals. It can function in areas where state and local governments cannot. When government acts outside of its enumerated powers and makes decisions where it has no authority, government can cause one heck of a mess.
Government can choose to control itself. Yet, control is something that rarely has occurred in any significant time in history. The Framers of the U.S. Constitution understood this. They knew that the tendency of a central government was to grow and consume more power for itself. It’s simply a fallacy of human nature and a constant characteristic of government. Just as water itself is not bad, we citizens are not bad either. The difference is how much resistance exists against the water and also the government.
Politicians are like water. They tend to take the path of least resistance. The role of the grassroots is to provide resistance to government overreach. We must be the banks that resist the tendency of the water to go where it is not supposed to. This is an outcome of having a society of self-governing citizens.
Teaching the principles of self-governance and being involved in the political process are the primary objectives of the Convention of States Project. You’re invited to our Statewide Call tonight on April 12 at 8:00 p.m. Learn about what is happening in Missouri and throughout the country with the Convention of States. You also can visit www.conventionofstates.com for more information. Our Take Action page lists several ways to become involved in the defense of liberty.
The time to use the Constitution to save the Constitution is now.
In liberty,
Brett
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