Caveat Emptor – Check the Tires Before You Go

When I learned to drive in high school, the first thing I was instructed to do was walk around the vehicle and inspect it. Are the tires well inflated? Are there any open doors or items around the car to remove? Are the rear view and side mirrors aligned for the driver so they can see oncoming traffic prior to making a lane change? And does the car have enough gas? For a new driver, these basic instructions gave me the rules of the road prior to going anywhere. I pre-checked all the things that needed to be done prior to driving. Like a new driver, a new preamble gives one the rules of the road. A preamble is the beginning of a document written to give its readers an understanding of the intent of those who wrote it. It defines its goals in clear and concise language. This ensures the reader can safely traverse the ideas in the document to come. The Preamble to the United States Constitution, written 1787, is clear and concise using fifty-two words to lay out the purpose of the United States Constitution. It states: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America.” The Colorado Constitution’s Preamble was written in 1876, 100 years after the Declaration of Independence. Hence Colorado’s nickname, the Centennial State. Colorado’s Preamble’s sixty words are clear and concise as it states: “We, the people of Colorado, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, in order to form a more independent and perfect government; establish justice; insure tranquility; provide for the common defense; promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the ”State of Colorado.” The Town of Erie, where I reside, elected a commission of citizens to write a town charter for the purpose of creating “Home Rule” governance. Currently the town is governed as a statutory entity with governance by the state. In full disclosure, I ran for this commission and was not elected to serve on it. I had hoped that the citizens elected to this commission would create a document that would be clear and concise and give the citizens an understanding of its intent. Here is the proposed Town of Erie Charter Preamble. “We, the people of the Town of Erie, Colorado, in order to establish a more effective and responsive government, to promote the general welfare, and to secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and future generations, do ordain and establish this Home Rule Charter. We recognize that Erie’s history, character, and resources require a government that is dedicated to local control, sustainability, and the preservation of our natural environment. We affirm the rights of all residents to participate in the decisions that affect their lives, and we seek to promote transparency, accountability, and good governance at all levels. We pledge to uphold the principles of democracy. equity, and justice, and foster a community that is inclusive, diverse, and welcoming to all. We value the contributions of our residents, businesses, and institutions, and we seek to promote economic growth and opportunity while preserving the quality of life that makes Erie a desirable place to live. In order to achieve these goals, we adopt this Home Rule Charter as a framework for local governance, and we commit ourselves to its execution for the betterment of our community and the well-being of all who call Erie home.” The entire premise of their document is written as a post-modern ideal viewing the world as they wish rather than how it is. If you read no farther than the preamble in this document, you will realize that it is dangerously written. The proposed preamble has one-hundred ninety-four words. This is 30% more words than our state Constitution and the language is intentionally ambiguous. My first suggestion for this committee and the citizens who will vote on it in November 2023, is to check their premises. Unlike the State of Colorado’s preamble there is no mention of Supreme Ruler or Creator. This is problematic since our wisdom is endowed by our creator as written in the Declaration of Independence, with inalienable rights of Life Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. There is no mention of the purpose of government, which is to protect universal, natural rights, and therefore to protect property. There is no mention of personal responsibility, or the ideals of citizenship which are to be self-restrained, self-reliant, self-assertive, and to have civic knowledge. The proposed preamble has words and phrases that I am opposed to for their ambiguity. They include: Sustainability, when properly defined, is a steady state of no growth. This is a “greenwash” word to sound environmentally concerned but what it really means is needing approval by your local government to build or improve a property. It is coercion at the local level. The preservation of our natural environment. We all want to live in a beautiful, clean environment yet when The City of Boulder enacted their preservation of the natural environment under the Danish Plan it created a “green belt” around the city. This artificial bubble limited amounts of land to build on and inflated home prices which negates the ability for real affordable housing. Democracy, which literally means “rule by the people” is really rule by the mob which impinges on individual rights. We are a republic with elected representatives. The Founders of this county feared democracy and understood its true outcomes. Equity is not equality. Equality states we should all have equal opportunity at the beginning of our lives and enjoy the fruits of our labor by industry. Equity states we should all end up in the same place with no regard for merit, industry, or property. Equity takes away our individual rights. Inclusive means if one agrees with the majority. Who is the arbitrator of this inclusiveness? What’s fair in the process to include, who pays for it, and who benefits from it? Diverse, is broad and subjective. Is it only diversity of skin color, religion, or sexual orientation or of ideas, experiences, and the ability to bring unique perspectives regardless of checking a box? We are told that local control is better for local municipalities which, in theory, would give the local citizens more to say in their local matters. This sounds good yet if a citizen does not get all the facts and understands what is being sold to them, they may regret their lack of understanding. Like the new driver who does not walk around his vehicle before driving and does not kick the tires then pulls out of the driveway with a flat, the experience will not be a good one from the beginning. As I continue to review this proposed Town of Erie charter I hope to expose more of their incorrect premises about local government. If I had to vote on the proposed charter in my town today, I would vote NO. Why should anyone care if they did not reside in Erie, Colorado? You may wish to look at your own city or town charter and discover if you are being sold a Lincoln or a lemon. You may be surprised at what you find under the guise of local control. https://kimmonson.com/kim_monson_show/caveat-emptor-check-the-tires-before-you-go/

Placeholders of Meaning

In my Toastmasters club our Grammarian shares a word of the day to help members increase their vocabulary and learn to use the new word as they speak. This is a valuable tool in expanding one’s understanding of the English language by listening to how others use the word. With training, your ears become attuned to words and the emotional connection they provide to an idea, a speaker, and the audience. Our language is constantly evolving, and new meanings are applied to words. There are also new words added to the dictionary every year that seem more like amalgamations. Words like digital nomad a noun, which is a person who works remotely while traveling for leisure, especially when having no fixed, permanent address. Or nearlywed, a noun, which is a person who lives with another in a life partnership, sometimes engaged with no planned wedding date or with no intention of ever marrying. This verbiage sounds like “word salad” if you ask me. Interesting to look at yet I won’t touch it. To keep words true to their origins they must be used with more frequency to understand their original meaning. Here are some examples: Arduous from the Latin arduus, the origin of which means “high” or “steep.” The American Heritage Dictionary definition of arduous is “demanding great effort or labor, difficult.” Used in a sentence, “The true test of a leader is whether his followers will adhere to his cause from their own volition, enduring the most arduous hardships without being forced to do so, and remaining steadfast in the moments of greatest peril.” – Xenophon Inviolate from the Latin inviolatus, the origin of which is to “not violate.” The American Heritage Dictionary definition being, ‘not violated or profaned or intact.’ Used in a sentence, “When the framers of the American Republic spoke of “The People”…they meant a sum of individuals, each of whom…retains his inviolate guarantee of individual rights.”– Ayn Rand Subjugation from the Latin subiugationem literally means to “bring under the yoke,” to subdue. The American Heritage Dictionary definition being, ‘to bring under control, especially by military force to conquer.’ Used in a sentence, “…the state is the result of aggressive force and subjugation. It has evolved without contractual foundation, just like a gang of protection racketeers.” – Hans-Hermann Hoppe Comports from the Latin comportare which means, “to bring together.” The American Heritage Dictionary definition is “to conduct or behave in a particular manner. To agree, correspond, or harmonize.” Used in a sentence, “No matter where you find yourself, comport yourself as if you were a distinguished person.” – Epictetus Reconciliation from the Latin reconciliare, meaning “to make good again” or “to repair.” The Webster Dictionary definition being “the act of causing two people or group to become friendly after a disagreement or argument.” Used in a sentence, “Previously known for its six syllables of sweetness and light, reconciliation has become the political fighting word of the year.” – William Safire These five words all have something in common. They were all said to be used at St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia on March 23, 1775, by Patrick Henry. Commonly known as the “Give me Liberty” speech, it was perhaps the catalyst for the Commonwealth of Virginia to vote to enter the War for Independence against the mightiest nation known to the world at that time, the British Empire. The result of Patrick Henry’s words was the enjoining of Virginia into the war to become part of a new nation whose goal was to throw off the subjugation of British tyranny. The rhetoric in the news, social-media, and in general conversation has been ramping up on all sides of almost any issue; pro or con, left or right. The use of words, especially those from the past, need to be dusted off and put back into fashion lest we create more schisms for ourselves to traverse. Presidents and pundits use disparaging words that divide citizens rather than use aspirational words that lift and motivate a nation to its potential. Words like inviolate, comport, and reconciliation have the strength to heal and mend. They are tools for binding and enclosing the gaps that separate us as a people. There is too much at stake for our posterity if we do not actively use our ears more than our tongue. Pronouns have replaced, Sir and Madame. Identifying how one feels replaces how one is in nature. Words have always had the power to move people to action. David Ogilvy wrote in his book On Advertising, “When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product.” He went on to write, “When Aeschines spoke, they said, “How well he speaks.’ But when Demosthenes spoke, they said. ‘Let us march against Phillip.” We are at a critical point where the advertisement of our language by politicians, bureaucrats, and interested parties is inching closer to actions there may be no drawing back from. Words ill spoken, like a lit flame, are an arduous fire to extinguish. The fire temporarily creates light and heat, yet ultimately leads to burning out into darkness. As a Grammarian may say, “speak your words wisely.” https://kimmonson.com/featured_articles/placeholders-of-meaning/