June 16, 2012

Good Idea?

The president's audacity in announcing a major policy change without having any sort of law passed is astounding. The policy change, in summary, is that illegal immigrants under 30 who meet certain conditions will not be deported. At first glance, perhaps you think that is a good idea, or perhaps you think that is a bad idea. That is more or less all we have at the moment, because we have not had time to reflect on it, nor have our legislators. Instead, it's been made effective for a branch of the federal government, without any chance for anyone to think about it at all. We the people have not reviewed the language or had a chance to consider negative side effects, or had the time to realize what unintended consequences might ensue.

President Obama justified yet again sidestepping the Consitution by blaming Republicans for blocking laws that he proposed, but this is no excuse for trying to defeat our government's checks and balances. If a Republican in the executive branch, for example, a governor, were to simply announce that some key policy goal of the Republicans, which had not passed in the state legislature, was nevertheless now in effect, we would correctly regard this as a disregard of the law and a blow to democracy. In the past, our presidents have been patient and humble, and not tried such blatant circumventions of Congress. This change is for the worse.

If we want policies to be undertaken, we should work to convince others, and elect people who share our views, and then pass laws fairly, in accordance with the Consitution. Why should one person get to decide what many free people have the right to decide?