Now, let us look at the Greek word dike (ÃŽ ´ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ºÃŽ µ). This word defines the need for respect for the rights of others, including the right to have contrary opinions to your own. This responsibility includes listening to the opinions of others, rather than ignoring them because we believe them to be foolish or uninformed. If I understand the workings of ancient Athens, which I will be the first to admit that I am not nearly conversant with as those of Rome, Peitho-- who is the apotheosis of persuasion into a goddess--was the other patron of Athenian democracy. She represented the need for men to respect one another's opinions when presented by the citizens of Athens when they were making those decisions that affected the City and its people.
We now know of the Athenian's belief in the need for responsibility and respect when dealing with matters of governance. It is a belief that I--as well as most of the Founders and Framers--also subscribe to. The next question to be answered is what is the most important purpose of government?
All of the conservatives out there are crying out in unison some variation of, "To protect wealth and/or property!" But does history and experience support their assertion?
My answer is no.
Let us look at this problem from a purely human perspective. Which is a more heinous crime: stealing one million dollars from a safe in an unoccupied office; or kidnapping someone, ransoming them for one million dollars, and returning them to their loved ones completely unharmed? I think that most of us will agree that the kidnapping and ransom is a far more heinous crime. The actual value of the wealth that is lost is the same; it is the human element that makes the kidnapping worse.
Here's another example. Which is the more heinous crime: a man having his wallet lifted by a professional pickpocket; or that same man having his wallet taken at gunpoint? I think that we would all agree that the terror of having our lives threatened with a gun makes it infinitely worse than simply having your pocket picked. Yet the actual value of the property taken remains the same.
No, the most important purpose of any government is to protect the people from whom they derive their power, authority, and sovereignty, and to insure their continued health and well-being. To quote British Conservative Prime Minister and author Benjamin Disraeli (from his book Sybil , Part 4, Chapter 14), "Power has only one duty--to secure the social welfare of the People." Part of that protection includes keeping records of land ownership, auto registration, etc., i.e., property related matters. But that protection also must include helping those of us who--whether temporarily or permanently, for whatever reason--are not in a position to help themselves. And at the top of that list are our children.
Count the number of different children you see in the next week. Your own, your neighbors', those of total strangers you see on the street, in the stores, at your church, in a restaurant, and on the playground of their school. I see somewhere between fifteen and thirty children every day I am out of my house, which on average is six days a week.
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