One would think that a basic function of American government is to administer and enforce the laws of the United States. To that end, the head of the executive branch of this country, President Trump, has called for the National Guard of the respective states to help defend the border with Mexico.
Predictably, the leftist governor of Oregon, Kate Brown, has refused to contribute Oregon troops to the effort. Liberal Democrats (redundancy noted) believe that they have an acute sensitivity to moral and ethical decisions. This allows them to ignore laws erroneously passed by the American democracy that elected them. Ignoring anti-marijuana laws or retaining illegal aliens is no problem. The high moral standards they have designated for themselves allows them to ignore murderers who inhabit their communities, having figured out that a little collateral damage from the felons is acceptable, as long as it advances the notion that American standards of compassion have been upheld. Their high moral beliefs also allow them to advocate for peace and killing unborn human beings at the same time.
It is assumed at this point that you are still following their line of reasoning, but if you lack their moral acuity you may not. Therefore, if confused, simply trust them to guide you as they see fit, for they have sent the conundrums of modern life through their moral sifter and arrived at the truth.
Now consider the dilemma of George Washington. In order to support the government of the United States, it was necessary to levy taxes. Everyone hates taxes (except left-wing Democrats). Thinking of the Federalists of the day as the analogue to Republicans of today is a bit of a stretch, but the government was just starting out and the party in power determined that steps to support government decisions were necessary. Taxes are a necessary part of citizenship. Note: this is not the same as saying all taxes are justified or desirable. So, with the encouragement of Alexander Hamilton and others, a tax on distilled spirits was imposed in 1791.
The locus of the problem was in four counties in western Pennsylvania and two in western Virginia where opponents of the tax had gone so far as to create a flag with six stripes to symbolize the organized opposition in the six counties in question. A little context is required here. The French Revolution and its aftermath were in full swing, and what had the American revolution been about, but taxation without representation. It was somewhat lost on the tax opponents that this was an example of taxation with representation. The resistance, which became known as the Whiskey Rebellion, threatened to topple the fragile government. With French-like threats to form a committee of public safety and calls for the guillotine, a real threat existed to the future of the United States.
Stepping into the breach as usual, President Washington took control of the situation, and found legal support from Justice James Wilson for the formation of a militia to answer the violent faux French revolutionaries. Washington became the only president to personally lead soldiers into battle. Washington realized the importance of his mission, for in his words and reasoning, that if the laws were “trampled upon with impunity, and a minority . . . is to dictate to the majority, there is an end put at one stroke to republican government.”[1]
Forced to deal with the 13,000-man militia force, the rebel opposition was crushed. Some 150 prisoners were brought to account for their transgressions. Washington showed mercy in all cases by granting clemency to the rebels, including two who were convicted and sentenced to death, but pardoned by the president.
Today the United States is threatened by a metastasized rebellion fomented by public officials and leftist ideologues who believe that they are empowered by superior moral judgment to override the law as it stands. Clearly there is for many of them a design to further deny Americans their rights by facilitating a vote for aliens to which those aliens are not entitled. They are aided by well-meaning people who believe they are helping a downtrodden population of victims, when, in fact, they are perpetuating the same unsolved problems other countries do not fix, by providing a safety valve for dictators and political monopolists who exploit their people.
The rule of law in a democracy represents the power of justice in action.
[1] Washington A Life by Ron Chernow, Penguin Books2010