Dakota Beacon

Once again, doing ordinary things I was reminded of something not so ordinary anymore. Sitting in a barber’s chair, an old friend walked in and our conversation turned to history and politics.

In the course of our conversation, I asked if he remembered a radio show we did some eight years ago when we discussed the origins and content of the Magna Carta. He remembered. The show was aired on the 800th anniversary of its signing by King John of England.

By declaring the sovereign to be subject to the rule of law and documenting the liberties held by “free men,” the Magna Carta provided the foundation for individual rights in Anglo-American jurisprudence. It reined in the power of the King who claimed “divine right of kings” to condone unlawful acts.

Ushering in the practice of common law and the protection of the rights of all free people, the Magna Carta inspired people to leave Europe in search of religious freedom 400 years later. When the pilgrims came to America in 1620, they desired to follow God’s law and signed the Mayflower Compact which reaffirmed one of the most basic ideas set forth in the Magna Carta; "namely, that no political society could flourish without respect for the rule of law," wrote Kim Holmes, executive vice president of The Heritage Foundation.

In the tumultuous days leading up to the American revolution, Thomas Paine wrote in The American Crisis, “tyranny like hell is not easily conquered.” He went on to label the actions of England (led by King George) as tyranny and called him what he was a tyrant. To levy taxes without representation from the colonies and to require them to abide by laws not applied to other free Englishmen was intolerable and led to rebellion and war.

The first step in the fight against tyrannical acts by the government or the bureaucracy is transparency. Shining the light on laws and the lawmaking process yields knowledge and knowledge is power. It is a form of tyranny when the President signs executive orders to work around Congress, or Congress passes unconstitutional legislation, or a bureaucracy grabs more power than intended.

Recently, a lawsuit filed against the state resulted in key budget legislation being overturned. It is a local example of the people getting involved in the political process in defense of the state Constitution. People have had enough of the President, Congress, state legislators and the bureaucracy ignoring what matters most to them.

There are many ways things slip into law undetected by citizens without proper discussion and hearings by lawmakers. This can result in a slow erosion of liberties if not carefully subjected to the scrutiny of fundamental truths. The lawsuit put forth regarding the Public Employee Retirement System against the state of North Dakota challenged the breach of the “one subject rule” for legislation and I believe brings to light the discussion of the nature of tyranny.

To finish Thomas Paine’s earlier quote, “yet we have this consolation the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”

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Gary Emineth is the former NDGOP state chairman and host of "Open Range" on BEK TV.