The vision that inspired our Declaration of Independence and Constitution is summarized in John Stuart Mill's classic "On Liberty." In his discussion of the limits of power that can legitimately be exercised by society over the individual, Mill argued "that the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized society, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled because it would be better for him to do so . . . because it will make him happier or in the opinion of others to do so would be wise, or even right." Mill notes, "These are good reasons for remonstrating him, or persuading him, but not for compelling him, or visiting him with an evil in the case he do otherwise."
This vision of liberty boils down to simply live and let live and have tolerance for the preferences of others, even if their voluntary behavior sometimes offends our sensibilities. After all, the true test of one's commitment to free speech isn't when he permits others to be free to say what he thinks they should say. Instead, it's when others are permitted to say what some consider to be offensive. The same principle applies to behavior. So long as people act peaceably, with neither fraud nor coercion, we should use only persuasion, never force, to get them to comply with what we think is good.Most Americans believe that force is justified to achieve any objective as long as it's sanctioned by a congressional majority, an executive order or a court decision.
If we play by these tyrannical rules, should we whimper or be disappointed by the outcome? As one example, do those offended by political efforts to limit their right to abortion have a just complaint when they use the same methods to limit another's right to make his own decisions about his health care and force him into a government program? If you use congressmen to impose a punitive tax on cigarettes in the name of discouraging unhealthy behavior that poses a costly drain on our health-care system, why can't I try to get other congressional hustlers to enact a special punitive tax on homosexuals? Their behavior is also both unhealthy and a drain on our health-care system.
Government is about coercion. Limiting government is the single most important instrument for guaranteeing liberty. We're working on the third generation that has had little in the way of education about what our Constitution means and why it was written. Thus, we've fallen easy prey to charlatans, quacks and hustlers. Look how easily we've accepted the government slaying of nearly 100 Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas, and accepted its flimsy alibi of seeking illegal assault weapons and preventing child abuse.
Like our Founding Fathers, who had the courage to challenge England, which was then a mighty power, those among us who love liberty must summon up the courage to challenge Washington. As French philosopher Frederic Bastiat said, "When law and morality contradict each other, the citizen has the cruel alternative of either losing his sense of morality or losing his respect for the law."