The founding principle of individual sovereignty protected by the government has been replaced over time with the expectation that government will protect the citizens from harm. When the President takes his oath he swears to “protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”  In recent years to a man they will then turn around and say it is their sworn duty to protect the American people.  It’s not the same thing and it is indicative of a major change in the relationship between government and the people.

At first the federal government was occupied with protecting citizens from foreign enemies. They left most of the domestic protecting, from criminals and the like, up to the states. Dissatisfied with the states handling of slavery, the federal government intervened in 1861. That resulted in 750,000 American deaths and was proclaimed a major success. Federal influence was multiplied.  In the 20^th century the federal government began protecting us from natural disasters, financial problems, bad meat and as the century progressed they began to protect us from ourselves. They tried to protect us from alcohol, but that didn’t work out but it hasn’t prevented them from protecting us against drugs, prostitution, gambling, and even risky habits like driving without a seatbelt or helmet.

This has resulted in a real chasm in society. There are those who feel satisfied and there are those who feel threatened.  Many are aware of the inevitable tradeoff of freedom for security. With 65 million tarred by a criminal record and millions more regularly participating in illegal behavior, way too many Americans find themselves outside the law. Not only are they affected, but they affect family members and friends who may not themselves do anything illegal but who are torn by the ethical dilemma of supporting a personal relationship against the impersonal requirements of the law. This undermines the fabric of society.