An Open Letter from Adam Johnson
My fellow Tennesseans,
I received an email from someone asking whom one of the organizations with which I am affiliated supports for governor. As an issues-based, grassroots organization, we do not advocate for particular candidates. On a whim, however, I decided to look at the major party candidates in the race and see if there were any good reasons not to vote for any of them (I could come up with a thousand good things that any of them stand for).
Mind you, from my point of view, anybody who advocates for injuring the rights and/or liberties of the People is a tyrant, and using government to initiate an act of force against the People (especially if that act includes violating a State or federal Constitution one has sworn to uphold) is tantamount to waging war against them, which makes it treason under Art. 3 § 3 of the federal Constitution.
I just couldn’t bring myself to vote for anybody like that.
That said, reality exists, so we have to work within the bounds of what is practical. I would (and do) advocate for candidates who aren’t perfect on all the issues but whose flaws extend no further than the status quo. That, at least, provides some realistic opportunity for improvement.
So of the five leading gubernatorial candidates, there are the following choices (in alphabetical order by last name).
Mayor Bill Haslam (R–Knoxville), who joined a coalition called “Mayors Against Illegal Guns,” a group dedicated to enforcing laws that violate the Second Amendment. ( http://terryfrank.net/?p=1879 )
Joe Kirkpatrick (R–Nashville), who appears to support government control of prices for oil-producing crops as part of his plan to free Tennessee schools from Federal control. While eliminating federal control of local schools is in keeping with the federal Constitution, government control of prices violates the right to conduct private business without outside intervention. ( http://joe4gov.wordpress.com/2009/07/06/platform/ )
Mike McWherter (D–Jackson), who supports expanded federal programs to offer technical and professional support to small businesses, a power not enumerated in Art. 1§ 8 of the federal Constitution and therefore a violation of the Tenth Amendment. ( http://mikemcwherter.com/Issues-Mike-McWherter-Governor-Tennessee )
Ron Ramsey (R–Blountville), who voted for numerous tax increases in the General Assembly, which means he voted to use force to take Tennesseans’ hard earned money. (2009: SB2318, SB2357, SB2315 — search for 2009–2010 legislation at http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/billsearch/BillSearchAdvanced.aspx — 2008: SB4173, 2007: SB2223 — search for pre-2009 legislation at http://www.capitol.tn.gov/legislation/archives.html .)
Zach Wamp (R–Chattanooga), who voted for the Bailout (TARP), a bill not authorized by Art. 1 § 8 of the federal Constitution and also a violation of the Tenth Amendment. (http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_136085.asp)
Personally, I’ll be writing my own name in for governor, or Thomas Jefferson’s, or one of the minor candidates’, assuming any of them check out.
In Liberty,
— Adam Johnson
Short URL: http://murfreesboronewspress.com/?p=1535
Posted by RussJohnson
on May 24 2010. Filed under Murfreesboro Opinion, Murfreesboro Politics.
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