by
Roger Young

Previously
by Roger Young: I
Hereby Secede

“All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. The
general spread of the light of science has already laid open to
every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not
been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted
and spurred, ready to ride legitimately, by the grace of God.”

~ Thomas Jefferson

What makes government, government? What gives this institution,
created long before I was born, the power and legitimacy to rule
my life? Some would say if I object to or reject the legitimacy
of any government’s rule over my life, I have the power to alter
or abolish it. Do I have that power individually? Can I merely
declare this government is hereby abolished as relates to me personally?
Can I even alter it, only as it relates to me personally? No? I
must accomplish this through the political process and elections?
I must convince a majority of those now ruled to “vote”
for this abolishment? But why?

America’s founding documents include the phrase, “We
the people.” We the people? How can anyone speak for other people
without their consent? To take this question further, how can anyone
speak for “we the people” as relates to people who are
yet to be born?

If only a
relative handful of people created this government that I’m
obligated and forced to obey, (though I was not involved nor had
a choice in creating) then why can it not be argued that only an
equal number of people (or less) can abolish it? Why should more
votes be required to abolish this government just because it’s ruling
area is larger? Is that my fault? Why should I be, essentially,
punished because this government has increased its ruling area since
it was created?

Why must this act of abolishment be done collectively? Who sets
the rules and procedures for such an act, and who or what blessed
them with the power to set such rules and procedures? Why wasn’t
I consulted?

All governments seem to be collectivist, in that none can be altered
or abolished (at least peacefully) without collectivist action by
“the people.” Individuals, through their own means and
actions, for some reason, do not have this power. Why not? And when
I say “altered or abolished” in this case, I say that
with respect to that individual only, not the collective.

I’m told that governments rule “by
the consent of the people.” In other words, only people
collectively have that power. Why aren’t individuals recognized
as having that power? What if millions of people, each on their
own, declared
absolutely no consent to be ruled by their declared rulers?
Would that declaration be recognized? What if the majority of
people (each on their own, not collectively) declared no consent
toward being ruled by this declared ruler? Would this ruling state
then abolish itself? What gives this ruling state the power to determine
how its legitimacy is determined (through political action, debate,
and elections) rather than the supposed “free” individuals?
If the government rules at the consent of the governed, shouldn’t
it be up to the governed how they declare their consent?

I’m told that if you don’t like the government that rules you then
you can move to where the government is better. But what if I don’t
want any government ruling me? Where, realistically, can I move
to where no government declares to rule me? And why should I move?
What gives the government dominion over a particular geographic
area? It appears that someone, before I was even born, declared
that this government has not only declared dominion over the particular
geographic region I happen to live in but the power to rule me as
long I reside there! Therefore I was born being ruled. Doesn’t that
make me a slave – merely property owned by this declared ruler?
What happened to my consent?

Why did this government not ask me (when old enough to understand)
for my consent? It appears that it has assumed I’ve consented to
its rule by merely continuing to reside in its declared geographic
region. Why? How does merely living on a particular patch of dirt
mean giving consent to being ruled by a government that I had absolutely
no part in creating? And if I am truly “free” and I have
not consented to its rule, why cannot I not therefore be free of
the harassment and violence directed against me and my property?

No man or group of men has the moral authority to rule another
man without his explicit consent. No man need feel obligated to
obey and serve a government created before his existence as a sovereign
human being. No man should need to petition or beg such an institution
(created before his birth and lacking his consent) to cease and
desist further encroaches upon his sovereignty, liberty and property.

William F. Buckley claimed, “It is not a sign of arrogance
for the king to rule. That is what he is there for.” Oh, really?
Who or what put this “king” in that position? Why can
some declare themselves “king” but others cannot?

Even the revered Aristotle professed, “For that some should
rule and others be ruled is a thing not only necessary, but expedient;
from the hour of their birth, some are marked out for subjection,
others for rule.” Is that so? What if an individual decides
not to be ruled, that it is not “necessary” nor “expedient”
as regards his personal interests? And exactly who does the “marking”
of who will be rulers and who will be subjects? From whom or what
do they get this authority?

Stay angry and suspicious my friend, toward those who assume such
an arrogant position.

May
23, 2012

Roger
Young [send him mail]
is a freelance
photographer in US-occupied Texas and has a
blog.

Copyright
© 2012 by LewRockwell.com. Permission to reprint in whole or in
part is gladly granted, provided full credit is given.