Rep. Dana Criswell petitions citizens for 2021 ideas.
Even though the 2020 presidential election is far from over, it is time to begin thinking about state and local politics and what issues our legislature needs to address in the coming year. This year has seen unprecedented events that began with the spread of the corona virus and President Trump issuing bans on folks traveling from China. While travel bans may have been unexpected they were nothing compared to the over-reach of government into our daily lives that came next.
Conservatives who believe in limited government were surprised and appalled when federal, state and local governments declared some individuals “essential workers” and other “non-essential.” Who could have predicted that citizens would need a letter to travel to and from work as proof they had been deemed “essential” by the government. We were caught off-guard when government made the decision that big businesses like Walmart and Home Depot were essential but the locally owned hardware store, who sold the same products, was non-essential and therefore prohibited from opening. But, don't forget the most egregious transgression when government declared that gathering to worship God was illegal.
Now almost an entire year has passed and we still have local and state politicians, we once considered conservative leaders, wielding unprecedented power and control over the daily lives of citizens. Our governor has maintained that a declaration of state emergency can last as long as he deems necessary and that he therefore has the power to determine how many people we can associate with at a time, what we can wear and even determine what medical procedures and surgeries are allowed.
The year 2020 has also witnessed a shift in how our educational system works. We have learned that some education can take place remotely, that we don't need school semesters to last as long, and that parents, not teachers, are the most critical and unchanging element of a child's education.
We have learned that some law enforcement leaders are strong enough to withstand political pressure and refuse to enforce unconstitutional mandates, while others (like some officers in Greenville and Byhalia, MS) will enforce anything they are told to enforce no matter how unconstitutional and wrong.
My question to you is what lessons have you learned from the year 2020? What issues so you think must be fixed, and how do you think they can be addressed?
Are there laws that you believe need to be changed? Do you have ideas on how best to make the changes?
The year is almost behind us, it is time to learn from our mistakes and make changes in the laws that have been exposed as harmful to our liberty and freedom.
PS - I don't often bring religion directly into my political discussions. It generally makes me uncomfortable simply because so many politicians use God to promote themselves. But today I am asking you specifically to pray for our nation. I fear that we have reached a point where God is turning his back on our nation. History shows that nations can become so evil that God decides it's time for them to end. For the sake of our children and grand-children I hope you will beg God to give us more time, more opportunity to turn our nation around.
At least half of our nation voted this month to continue killing unborn babies, they voted in support of people who refuse to condemn mobs who destroy other's property and believe its justifiable to kill people with whom they disagree. I am asking God to give me another opportunity and my promise to Him is that if he gives us more time I will work harder to turn our nation back to Him. Please join me in that prayer.