An understanding of the proper role of government should begin with the key reason why government exists: to restrain the bad guys and thereby promote the freedom and safety of everyone else.
Considering government's well-documented difficulties with reforming and rehabilitating bad guys, it may have raised a few eyebrows when Democratic state Sen. Andy Berke, who hopes to be Chattanooga's next mayor, said the city should take upon itself the task of showing criminals a path to success.
Berke offered that goal -- which involves getting together lots of people in the community and discussing the issue -- as a component of his promise to reduce Chattanooga's crime rate.
"It's incredibly important and doable," he said at a small gathering.
To be sure, there is obvious value in trying to lead criminals down a different path.
But that doesn't mean government is a particularly apt vehicle for pursuing that endeavor. Far and away the most valuable role government can serve in reducing crime is to enact laws creating just, but stiff, sentences for criminals -- particularly for violent criminals. Then those sentences should actually mean what they say.
It's simple cause and effect: Most people do not have a desire to be in prison, and hardly anybody wants to be there long term. So tough sentences for serious crimes go a long way toward discouraging that behavior.
Meanwhile, churches and a range of other excellent organizations can and do perform vital work in helping point criminals in a more productive direction.
Confusing the different but equally important roles of government and private institutions, however, is not likely to yield the reduced crime that we would all like to see.
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Mayor Andy Berke has been sworn into office this morning along with nine council members.
Unlike the vague speeches and interviews that defined his campaign, Mayor-elect Andy Berke now is drilling down to specifics.
Terry Lee sat in a chair Wednesday night waiting for the guest of honor to take the podium.
Secular world created problems
Your theory of government is authoritarian and coercive.
Are you sure that's what you want?
The primary function of government is not to oppress people. In practice, our country revolted largely in response to the high taxes associated with the Stamp Act. It could be argued that the USA became a nation for the opposite of reasons listed in the editorial.
Take a history class. Read a book. Try the immigration and naturalization quiz for prospective citizens. Do anything that looks like research before writing these editorials.
When you look at our state seal next time, you will see the words "Agriculture" and "Commerce." They are there to symbolize the desire for our people to build a better life for themselves. That's closer to the primary function of government.
Concrete, simple, and correct. The liberal theory of gov't is like kudzu--it should keep growing.
Punishing criminals is not oppressing people.
Andrew,
What does rehabilitating criminals have to do with "growing government"?
It's not about punishing criminals. Berke wants to help rehabilitate them so they don't become career criminals. Longer sentences are going to discourage criminals. It'll just keep the off the streets longer. They need to be rehabilitated.
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