By Lynn Kellogg
“The freedom and happiness of man…are the sole objects of all legitimate government.” These words of Thomas Jefferson are inscribed on a plaque in the stairwell of the Statue of Liberty.
While our rich history is fraught with contradictions and a combination of dark and light times, increased knowledge brings truth, and solid values have prevailed. Sometimes I look through history to reinforce values that bring unity and find them helpful for these times.
Our separation of powers between Executive, Congressional and Judicial branches of government, along with states rights and control of elections, provide a solid system of checks and balances to ensure government by the people.
George Washington said it well in his farewell address: “It is important that the habits of thinking in a free Country should inspire caution in those entrusted with its administration, to confine themselves within their respective Constitutional Spheres; avoiding in the exercise of the Powers of one department to encroach upon another.”
Louis Brandeis, lawyer and former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court expands this thought: “Decency, security and liberty alike demand that government officials shall be subjected to the same rules of conduct that are commands to the citizen. In a government of laws, existence of the government will be imperiled if it fails to observe the law scrupulously.”
Our rights are precious. Differences in backgrounds and points of view enhance one’s understanding of reality and are to be valued. It’s hard to think of a situation where this wouldn’t be the case.
No matter one’s party affiliation, threats to free speech are wrong and feel wrong. Overt retaliation for a contrary opinion isn’t just petty, it’s dangerous.
Charles Evan Hughes, former Chief Justice of the United States, commented in 1925, “When we lose the right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free.”
We acknowledge our differences and protect our rights through our right to vote. Thomas Paine, one of our founding fathers commented, “The right of voting for representatives is the primary right by which other rights are protected.” It’s critical that our policies encourage voting, not curtail it.
An earlier column mentioned that nearly a third of voters vote absentee. It saves gas money, time, spreads the workload for staff and is a godsend for travelers and busy workers. Despite rhetoric, absentee and in-person voting remains virtually free of fraud.
A nonpartisan analysis from the Brookings Institution found that between 2016 and 2022 there were, on average, only four cases of mail-in ballot fraud for every 10 million votes cast. Extensive investigations of fraud in 2020 found little issue, nothing of substance to affect an outcome.
Nevertheless, following 2020, states across the country, including Michigan, hired independent auditors to verify and strengthen the integrity of voting systems, in-person and absentee, to assure the public of the integrity of the system. Recent claims of fraud have proven false. The system works.
As a nonpartisan political advocate for my entire career, I can only say we need to look at the values that define us to bring unity. Look past the rhetoric. Our differences enrich us, and our system of checks and balances on power is important. Your vote matters.
Lynn Kellogg is former CEO of Region IV Area Agency on Aging in Southwest Michigan. The Generations column appears each weekend in The Herald-Palladium.