The Majority of the People May Alter or Abolish a Government Which Has Become Tyrannical
Psalms 133:1 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
Philippians 2:2-4 “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”
Our Founding Fathers were very well acquainted with the abusive, autocratic government which for 13 years had imposed rules and regulations that were in violation of the English Constitution. This is why Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that when there is a long list of abuses by the government against the people that “it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.”
John Locke said in his: Second Essay Concerning Civil Government that “when the government comes in to take away property, beginning to reduce the citizens to slavery that basically the government is setting itself up in war against the people that the government “forfeit the power the people had put into their hands.”
However, it needs to be understood that it was the majority that set up the government and so it must be the majority that can authorize an appeal to alter or abolish a particular establishment of government. John Locke went on to emphasize that there is no right or revolt in an individual, a group or a minority, but only in the majority.
A good definition of government’s role is found in the Virginia Declaration of Rights where it is stated: “The government is, or ought to be, instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security of the people. And that, if any government shall be found in adequate or contrary to these purposes, a majority of the community has an indubitable, inalienable and indefensible right to reform, alter, or abolish it, in such a manner as shall be judged most conducive to the people or to the public health.”
What we need to keep in mind is that according to our Founding Fathers, it’s the people that are sovereign and that when necessary the majority can take over to restructure the political machinery – with the purpose of restoring liberty.
When I look at our government today we see that we are losing our liberty by unjust laws that are passed, regulations that begin to choke us, a political elite that determines what is best for us and an educational system that is programming our youth contrary to a Judeo/Christian worldview. Perhaps now is the time for the majority to speak. One way, of course, is the vote that we still have. Might we be wise this coming November 2016 as we vote for the best candidate to be the president of the United States.