Freedom on the auction block

Prior to the mid-19th Century, town squares often included an auction block. On those auction blocks human liberty was bought and sold like livestock, cotton, tobacco, or any other commodity. It’s not a prideful part of our nation’s history.

However, such transactions aren’t a scar upon the United States alone. Nor was slavery invented here, contrary to politically correct notions. Nearly every nation, culture and race has engaged in selling human liberty. In some parts of the world it is still openly practiced and culturally acceptable.

Advanced societies have long since abandoned auction blocks. What’s unique about the United States is that we ended legal slavery at an earlier age--less than 100 years--than other nations in which it’s been practiced. Yet there remains one place in America where selling human liberty is routine and celebrated: the U.S. Senate.

Look at how the Senate healthcare bill unfolded. Lacking needed votes, Sen. Harry Reid and his minions opened our wallets and went shopping. When the spree was complete the votes were there and the bill moved forward.

It began with Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), once a critic of the Senate plan. But when Reid sent $300 million to the bayou Landrieu had a change of heart. One Washington Post writer concluded that her payoff could look like a bargain before the wheeling and dealing was finished. That writer might be a prophet.

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) sought $100 million from a series of amendments that will spread money around the country faster than Sooners can cross an Oklahoma prairie. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont socialist, grabbed $10 billion for his state. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) won concessions that will exempt 800,000 elder Floridians from the bill’s proposed Medicare cuts. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) garnered up to $100 million to offset Medicare costs in his state.

The American Medical Association got a piece of the action, too.
Medicare fees for physicians disappeared, as did subsidy cuts to selected physicians. Taxes on cosmetic surgery were dropped in favor of a 10-percent tax on tanning salons. In return the AMA, which apparently has more pull than the tanning salon lobby, endorsed Reid’s bill. The entire process is enough to make your head spin, or your stomach turn.

To be bought and sold in such manner is an affront to all a person is or ever will be. But, strange as it sounds, it isn’t the ultimate insult. To see our liberty sold by our representatives and bought with our money takes pain and abuse to a new level. It’s like opening a wound, filling it with salt, then bandaging it with concertina wire.

Yet supporters defend the treachery as standard Senate fare. Sen. Charles Schumer said it’s why we have a Senate. And Harry Reid called the vote-buying and pork-barreling “compromise”. Both are as far from legitimate Senate action as the East is from the West.

The Senate’s job is to enact laws within constitutional limits that protect life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and state’s rights, not circumvent them all. And compromise isn’t paying Senators to sacrifice their principles to Harry Reid’s perverted image of the public good. Deeds that Senators defend as compromise would get the rest of us jailed for bribery.

Liberty can’t forever suffer the selfish maneuverings of a recalcitrant government. Congress has become the chains of our subjugation. Maybe we can stop this assault on liberty. Maybe we can’t. But if we stand idly Congress will continue to sell us and our freedom without a second thought.

Our constitutional, legislative and human liberties are on the auction block whenever Congress is in session. Each time a vote is sold or bought the auctioneer’s gavel falls and what remains of our liberty is presented to the highest bidder. Isn’t it time to bury this custom once and for all?