“Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”

In the course of human events, on July 4, 1776, 244 years ago, Americans set out to form a new government. In the process of instituting this new government the founders of our country placed restrictions on politicians and government. They declared that no authority or politician has the power to make laws restricting religion, speech, press, or assembly. These restrictions prevented the government from depriving us of life, liberty, or property. They restricted the government’s ability to take our property for public use without just compensation. They restricted the government from locking us up without a speedy trial by jury. And finally, they restricted the government from violating other inalienable rights that were not enumerated. They set these restrictions out as bright lines that the government cannot cross. 

These restrictions are commonly known as the first 10 amendments to the US constitution or the Bill or Rights. 

Restrictions on government and a recital of rights were also set out in state constitutions. For Montana, the restrictive clauses and rights are listed in article two of the Montana constitution. These include, among others, the right of “pursuing life’s basic necessities” and defending our “lives and liberties, and the right of acquiring, possessing, and protecting our property.” 

Lest you miss the point, our governor has disregarded these constitutional bright lines in the last months. Indeed, he annihilated them. He terminated the right of Montanans to “pursue life’s basic necessities” with the demeaning declaration that their work was “non-essential” while taking his full pay. He allowed some to work, and some were ordered to stay home. He ordered some business closed, dooming them to failure, while their competitors thrived. Families were humiliated by considering “non-essential” their ability to work and provide for their children. Who does not grieve for the small business owner who worked for years to build a business only to have it crippled by government malfeasance?

University of Montana economists now estimate that 75,000 Montanans will be unemployed and lose $6 to $7 billion of income. Due to this unmitigated economic wreckage, Montana unemployment costs have soared from about $7-$10 million per month last April and May to $194 million this April and $221 million in May. Budget shortfalls could now negatively impact thousands of vulnerable Montanans. The governor’s confusing and contradicting edicts suspended the right to travel, worship, recreate, and have a jury trial. He cut off entire communities from the benefits of religious assembly and commerce. In the utmost irony, hospitals stopped performing “elective” medical procedures to prepare for a health crisis that never came. Hospitals emptied out and hundreds of medical personal lost employment. 

To appease the populace, a pittance of compensation was given out by federal politicians- crumbs off the table; disgusting bribes of borrowed money offered in exchange for freedom and self-sufficiency. Like Esau, who sold his birthright for a pot of beans, many took the $1,200.00 checks, PPP payments, and government “CARES” handouts whether it was needed or not. Our grandchildren will look back and say, “what were they thinking?”

This is not the American way. This is the way of tyrants. If you are not alarmed or angered by all this, you are now ready for the communist state. Many governments are now developing apps to track where you have been and with whom you have talked. There is talk of mandatory vaccines. Some states are not planning to allow “non-essential” businesses to open for months while showing favoritism to their competitors.  

In recent months, Montanans have been coerced to cede liberty for safety. This is a false choice. We don’t have to surrender constitutional rights to stay healthy, nor should we. Our founding fathers, “with a firm reliance on protection of divine providence,” pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to secure our liberties. The options are clear: we can choose to let politicians foist their version of safety on us, or we can live free. If we cower in fear, we will end up with neither life nor livelihood. According to our Declaration of Independence, which we will celebrate July 4th, our government was instituted to secure the inalienable rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” We now find it being “destructive to these ends,” Our country can stay free and stay safe, and we should never be duped into thinking we must give up our “essential liberties” for safety. The choice of liberty will always carry risk. For the sake of our progeny, choose wisely.

Tom McGillvray