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I recommend that you read a couple of paragraphs from President Trump’s State of the Union:
“As the world bears witness tonight, America is a land of heroes. This is a place where greatness is born, where destinies are forged, and where legends come to life. This is the home of Thomas Edison and Teddy Roosevelt, of many great generals including Washington, Pershing, Patton, and MacArthur. This is the home of Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Amelia Earhart, Harriet Tubman, the Wright Brothers, Neil Armstrong, and so many more. This is the country where children learn names like Wyatt Earp, Davy Crockett, and Annie Oakley. This is the place where the pilgrims landed at Plymouth and where Texas patriots made their last stand at the Alamo.”
“The American nation was carved out of the vast frontier by the toughest, strongest, fiercest, and most determined men and women ever to walk on the face of the Earth. Our ancestors braved the unknown; tamed the wilderness; settled the Wild West; lifted millions from poverty, disease, and hunger; vanquished tyranny and fascism; ushered the world to new heights of science and medicine; laid down the railroads, dug out the canals, raised up the skyscrapers. And, ladies and gentlemen, our ancestors built the most exceptional republic ever to exist in all of human history, and we are making it greater than ever before.”
“This is our glorious and magnificent inheritance. We are Americans. We are pioneers. We are the pathfinders. We settled the New World, we built the modern world, and we changed history forever by embracing the eternal truth that everyone is made equal by the hand of Almighty God. America is the place where anything can happen. America is the place where anyone can rise. And here, on this land, on this soil, on this continent, the most incredible dreams come true. This nation is our canvas, and this country is our masterpiece. We look at tomorrow and see unlimited frontiers just waiting to be explored. Our brightest discoveries are not yet known. Our most thrilling stories are not yet told. Our grandest journeys are not yet made. The American Age, the American Epic, the American adventure has only just begun.”
“Our spirit is still young, the sun is still rising, God’s grace is still shining, and, my fellow Americans, the best is yet to come. Thank you. God bless you. And God bless America.”
President Trump’s message should have been heard as a heart-warming tribute to all Americans and our collaborative efforts to build a nation where people are free to pursue individual liberty. But all is not well in DC because the final scene from the televised event was Nancy Pelosi tearing up her copy of the speech.
I’m not suggesting that Trump’s speech should have been gold-leafed, framed and placed in Pelosi’s living room. Yet, we know that her purposeful televised shredding of those papers was meant to be divisive. When questioned about her actions she responded that she thought the speech “dirty.” Pelosi said, “I tore it up. I was trying to find one page with truth on it. I couldn’t.”
Given these two contradictory views for America, how do you think Speaker Pelosi would answer the following question? Which form of government would she prefer? Which would you prefer? Choose one, A or B:
A) People should govern government; or,
B) Government should govern people.
Now, back to Oregon, how do you think our Democrat-party super majority enclave would respond?
The reason I ask, is because of a much larger battle that is being waged across America. It is a battle for ultimate control – control over the life of the individual.
Will the individual (AKA - the smallest possible minority) be allowed to run their own life? Or, will the powerful continue to manage, control, regulate, fine and tax that life for their own benefit?
Based upon the initiatives that were brought up during Oregon’s 2019 legislative session and the wave of new bills scheduled during this 2020 short "fix-it" session, the super majority’s appreciation for big government is undeniable.
The onslaught facing Oregonians is similar to a scene described by Homer, in his legendary masterpiece, the Iliad. He writes, “It is as when the ass breaks into a field and eats the standing corn, and the children of the village beat him with sticks. Their arms are weak, and the sticks are broken on the beast’s back, for he is slow in going, nor do they drive him out till he has eaten his fill.”
I wonder if this donkey will ever be full. Probably not…
Oregon’s super majority appears unconcerned about the growth of government and its own internal agencies that multiply faster than rabbits. Every session new organizational units are conceived on a bed of Utopian ideals. While each of these agencies has a limited scope and function, when administered in concert with thousands of other rules and regulations liberty becomes debauched.
The tangled web of controls, economic dislocations, and market interventions are skillfully crafted to lavish rewards on one group while taking from another. This is nothing more than robbing Peter to pay Paul. The well-connected receive their rewards in the form of projects, contracts, licensure, subsidies, protective regulations and monopolistic franchises that ensure the well-connected stay gorged at the honeypot.
Aided by well-heeled experts and powerful special interests, the onslaught of government growth is slowly dismantling our private property rights, local jurisdictional autonomy, independent decision-making and free-market choices. The result is a more virulent collectivism which demands higher tax rates, subservience to needless regulations and sacrifices of our individual freedom in the name of safety and security.
The aftereffect of this degraded liberty forces other businesses to lobby for their own legislative protections, or advantages. In turn, you, I, our families and our businesses are being slowly divided into groups of rulers or ruled, taxers or taxed.
Remember, Thos. Jefferson, cautioned the majority of his era with this message, “to be rightful, [they] must be reasonable.” Because, “the minority possess their equal rights, which equal laws must protect, and to violate which would be oppression.”
Now the question facing us is, how reasonable is the super majority?
Are they being reasonable with regard to gun control (must be locked at all times, can’t hand to another user, etc.), cap and trade (11% utility rate increase; 72¢ gas tax), mandatory vaccinations (for restrictable diseases), gross sales taxes (CAT), mattress taxes (for the homeless), auto-sales taxes (for carbon-offsets), privilege taxes, hotel taxes (20% increase while renting a pillow), home-sales taxes, and new construction taxes?
Does the state of Oregon need more revenue? On the contrary, Oregonians need more freedom! Freedom from excessive taxation, regulations, fees, redundant licensure requirements and government agencies interfering in their families and businesses.
Our Oregon Constitution echoes this thought claiming, “all power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their peace, safety, and happiness.” Government’s charter is for the expressed defense, support and protection of the individual along with all of his undeniable, self-evident natural rights and human dignity. The state, in our Founder’s conception, is meant to be the servant of the individual.
Join me and thousands of hardworking, law-abiding, Oregonians at the Capital building, all-day tomorrow morning, Thursday, February 6th.
Join with us to rally peacefully, stand up for our 2nd Amendment Rights, our private property rights, our right to run our own lives and businesses, our rights to earn an honest living for our families and our futures without punitive taxes, fees, and regulatory burdens.
Remember, if we don't stand for rural-Oregon values and common sense... No one will!
 Dennis Linthicum
Oregon State Senate 28
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1728
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-305, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: sen.DennisLinthicum@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/linthicum
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