Authority by Carol Wolman

Authority by Carol Wolman

Who has ultimate authority under the US Constitution?  Is it the president?  the Congress?  the courts?  

 

The writers of the Constitution made a distinction between power and authority.  Power was carefully distributed among the three branches of government, and balanced between the federal government and the states, so that it would not be concentrated in the executive branch.  Power was to be limited

 

Ultimate authority belongs to  "We the people" who "ordain and establish this Constitution".   (Preamble: We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America).

 

The authority to make laws is delegated to the people's representatives in Congress, and the people's authority is reasserted every two years when every single representative has to stand for election.  The next such election is a little over a year from now, in November 2006.  It is our opportunity to re-establish authority over a criminally powerhungry and negligent executive branch.

 

But 2006 is not a presidential election year, you might say.  It is not, but the Constitution also gives the people the authority to impeach and dismiss the president, vice president, and other civil servants via our representatives in Congress. 

 

The current Congress will not impeach the president, no matter how treasonous, larcenous his actions, no matter how high his crimes and how serious his misdemeanors.  If we want to see this administration impeached, we must elect a Congress that will do the job.

 

The only way to ensure this is to make impeachment the central focus of the 2006 campaign.  We must start now, because the primaries are only 6 months away. 

 

The meetup format has been successful in launching the Dean and Kucinich campaigns.  Let's use it- go to http://impeachbush.meetup.com

and join the meetup nearest you.  Sept. 26th is the next scheduled date for face-to-face meetups (subject to local modification).  If there is no meetup in your area, start one.

 

We in Alameda County California are inviting all the local green and peace groups to our September meetup.  We plan to reach out from there.  If everyone around the country would do the same, and if we all work together, given the angry mood of the country, it should be easy to make impeachment the major issue of next year's campaign.

Many Christians are reluctant to work for impeachment, because they feel that they should not challenge authority.  They may cite the following:

1 Timothy 2:  ¹I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

   ²For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

 

They don't realize that the ones in authority, under the US Constitution, are we the people.  We have the authority, and therefore the responsibility, to get rid of the incompetent crooks in power, and restore our country to peace, godliness and honesty.  Let's get going!

 

In the name of the Prince of Peace,  Carol Wolman