“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
We all know these words. Scribed by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, these words galvanized the masses and established the moral foundation for patriots across the thirteen colonies to break from England and set forth a new nation – one of self-government by, for, and of the People.
But… Can you tell me the next line?
Here it is: “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” That line – deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed – might be the most important in the entire Declaration of Independence. Self-government does not happen through imposition and control. It happens through transparency, accountability, and the acknowledgement among all of us that the “we the people” (should) have the final say in what our government can and cannot do. It is this reason, why 250 years later, some of the hottest issues facing Ohioans, and Americans broadly, are not neatly fitting into our traditional red vs blue, right versus left political orthodoxy, but instead is people versus power.
You see, our elected leaders, at all levels of government, have forgotten (or at least ignored) democracy’s most basic truth, which is their just powers are supposed to be derived from the consent of the governed. Look at some of the issues dominating the news today. These seemingly disconnected issues share one interwoven thread – the People never consented to any of this.
For example:
- Flock Cameras and Mass Surveillance Technology – local police departments have installed hundreds of thousands of AI powered mass surveillance technologies along roadways across the country –often with no notice or debate at local city council or county commissioner meeting. These technologies track and map our movements, regardless of reasonable suspicion or the presence of a warrant and have repeatedly been used by law enforcement officers to stalk former romantic partners or other non-law enforcement reasons. The Fourth Amendment ensures our privacy against unreasonable searches and seizures, but that hasn’t stopped the proliferation of these invasive technologies.
- Data Centers – Grassroots opposition to the construction of these massive, resource intensive facilities sparked an ongoing campaign to amend the state constitution to ban their construction. Media reports revealed that private companies looking to build these centers muzzled local government officials with non-disclosure agreements, which is a shocking and egregious violation of the public trust. Private companies dictating what local government officials can and cannot discuss with their constituents is the antithesis of democratic government. Moreover, the revelation that state leaders handed out a 40 year, 50% tax abatement for tech giants like Meta, Google, and Amazon guarantees that local communities cannot reap the full potential of the supposed benefits of these investments.
- ICE – Even before America watched ICE agents murder American citizens in the streets of Minneapolis, it was clear the “immigration enforcement” agenda of ICE was not going to be confined to the boundaries of the law. Masked, armed, untrained agents in street clothes springing from unmarked vehicles to capture and detain pedestrians; jailing college students for opinion pieces published in student newspapers; routinely making factual misstatements in Court were, in a word, routine. Not until ICE agents murdered Keith Porter Jr., Renee Good and Alex Pretti (along with shooting and wounding countless others from LatinX, Black, indigenous, and other POC communities) did Americans absorb the level of violence being carried out on our neighbors. No one voted for ICE to transform into a rogue strike force beholden to the president and not the law. The lawlessness of ICE, and it’s accomplices in elected office, churns the stomach of anyone who values the rule of law.
- War in Iran – Usually – when the elected leader of a democracy decides their nation must enter a state of armed conflict with another country, the elected leader attempts to rally support among the people. After all, it is the people who will fight and die in said conflict. A case will be made for why a state of war is necessary for the safety and security of the country. None of that happened before the US launched a first strike campaign against Iran. The American people woke up on February 28 to news we bombed a foreign country sitting on one of the most valuable waterways in the world. Six months later, there is no end in sight to the conflict, and Americans have been suffering the consequences of global supply shocks on everything from energy to fertilizer. We had no say whether we should engage in this conflict or not. Instead, we are just stuck with the consequences.
It’s very important to understand that these issues stand out from our modern political discourse. In a hyper polarized world, where right versus left, red versus blue dominate the frame Ohioans view nearly every issue – these four issues break that mold. The common denominator: these issues happened to us, rather than on behalf of us.
The anger and feelings of betrayal are palpable. Prices are out of control because we started a war without warning. Federal agencies are brutalizing immigrant communities across the country. Our state leaders gave Big Tech billions of dollars in handouts and those companies turned around swore our local leaders to secrecy about it, all while living under constant, warrantless surveillance. Put simply – these issues took our privacy, our money, our safety, and our land – all without our approval.
2026 is an opportunity for the People, in no uncertain terms, to remind those in power who they answer to.