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The world is in a perilous place. Not since the end of Desert Storm has the world been in such a state of war; a state that threatens to expand and grow to a world wide conflict. Already we see powerhouses of military locked in armed conflict. Russia is battling the Ukraine and Ukraine is being fueled with arms and equipment from the United States and other NATO countries. The United States is at the front of a true war at the mouth of the Red Sea that risks pulling Iran into the fray. American troops are coming under fire in Iraq and Syria and it is only a matter of time before we have had enough and training bases in Iran will be hit. Then when we have depleted military resources we will see either North Korea crossing the 38th parallel and invade South Korea or watch mighty China invade Taiwan or, the worse of both worlds, both happening in concert. The most fundamental question that we must ask ourselves is, “Does America have a right to kill his fellow man when friends, allies and American resources are attacked and can this justification be applied in the day to day lives of Americans at home?”. The answer is a resounding “yes” and the reasoning comes from an English doctor almost four hundred years ago.
A state of potential war, a state of peace and nature and other aspects of a civil humanity is addressed in a document that was written a hundred years before the birth of our country. This document, the Second Treatise of Government, is a road map for forming a nation and how the individual citizen interacts within that nation. So, who was this author. His name is John Locke and he is noted as being an influencer of the founding of a small backwater country filled with backwoods men with little education that would grow to be known as the United States of America. Though he had been dead for many decades he influenced our founding fathers. A member of the Masonic Lodge of England, his writings were broadly read by the men that would craft both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. Thomas Jefferson said that Locke was one of the two most important figures of Liberalism in the world.
So what was the content of the document that did so much in modeling the document that would prove to be earth shattering when much of the content was executed:
“Considering people in a state of nature, before they form a government.” The state of nature refers to man being in a natural state. This is a state of freedom to make decisions, own property and buy and sell property or personal belongs as the individual desires. The person is not incumbered by unrealistic constraints. The person is free to exercise life in freedom.
“ The state of nature is a state of equity.” No man has rights above another mans. In other words, every man is created equal. Does this sound familiar?
“The state of nature is governed by natural law; everyone is born free and equal but may not harm others.” When a person lives in a state of nature, a state where man is free to make his own decisions, everyone has a right to life, liberty and no one should harm another in life, liberty or the possessions of another man.
“Everyone has a right to his/her own body and to labor freely.” Everyone has a right to perform work and no one has a right to force a person to work without permission of the person. In essence Locke is saying that slavery of any kind is not tolerable. In today’s context this could be addressing child trafficking or other human trafficking endeavors.
“Government is based on the consent of the governed; and once the people form a government, a majority has the authority to govern.” How profound is his statement. It is as if Locke had penned much of the Constitution himself even though his writings were a hundred years prior to the formation of our founding fathers. ”
People enter into government to protect their property and to keep them safe and secure; when the government fails to hold up its end of the bargain, the people can get rid of it and form another one.” People form a government to feel safe and secure and allows a legislature to form to make laws that guard the people just as a fence protects property. When the legislatures abuse their power and turns the citizens into a state of slavery, the citizens can replace their government. In the case of America, this is not done through armed revolution but instead it is performed at the ballot box. Instead of bullets America uses votes.
In 1776 Locke’s roadmap was enacted and we know the rest of the story.
God Bless America, Pray for the Ukraine and God Protect Israel.
