EDITORIAL: Democracy Attacks on federal government are attacks on the people
Sep. 8—Why it matters: Several unwarranted attacks on the federal government by states, groups and others amount to a growing threat to civil society.
In Texas and Alabama, the state governments are implementing laws that are essentially restrictions on interstate travel for those who want to get abortions.
Travel restrictions across state lines are things authoritarian governments do. Not since the Civil War have they been used in America.
Texas has put up an illegal razor wire fence in the middle of federal land at the Rio Grande River on the border.
Alabama is refusing to follow a federal judge's order to draw new congressional districts because of illegal gerrymandering.
And other groups, led by the ultra-right Heritage Foundation, have plans, if ex-President Donald Trump is returned to office, to dismantle a federal government now balanced by civil service laws into a spoils system controlled by a narrow minority and special interests.
These threats to federal sovereignty, and the very glue that holds our federal-state democracy together, should be taken seriously by all.
In our social-media faux news world, it's easy for frustrated citizens to point fingers and make the much misunderstood federal government a bogeyman. But it's worth pointing out the facts about the importance of federal government.
From cradle to grave, the federal government supports Americans every day of their lives, from early childhood programs like Head Start to those critical services older Americans rely on, Social Security and Medicare. Federal programs send billions of dollars into the states to build and maintain roads, highways, bridges, waterways and everything that supports American workers and business.
Conspiracy theorists complain that the "Deep State," whatever that is, has been obstructing the delivery of these services in some untoward way that conflicts with the will of the president. But we live in a representative democracy where power is shared and balanced according to the Constitution. Presidents don't get to decide everything.
And we'd like to see the states defend themselves from the rogue nations of the world without F-16 fighter jets, nuclear submarines, battleships and a fully equipped military that the federal government provides and finances.
If a person wants change at the federal government, there are no barriers to anyone or any interest group acquiring power through free and fair elections. That's how it should be done, not by lawless fiat.
Last time we checked, voting was still the best and most effective way for people to participate in their democracy. Unfortunately, leaders in red states are making voting more difficult while those in blue states like Minnesota are making it easier and more secure.
The federal government exists because the people, for nearly 250 years, have decided it should exist. The federal government is us. Attacks on it are attacks on the American people.
