There are three fashionable philosophies ruining the country today.

First, we don’t need law, because we have love. Other variations of this philosophy are “Let it be,” “It’s all good,” and “All we need is love.” We just have to stop regulating everyone’s behavior and all will be well.

Problem here is that Christian love just isn’t enough, and Jesus even said so. Jesus said the “weightier matters” of life are “judgment, mercy, and faith.” He put judgment first because, in a way, it is the most important. We can truly give free rein to mercy, or soft love, only if we have tough love, or judgment/regulation, to back it up. The regulatory state must be paired with the merciful church, reason must be paired with faith, and judgment must be paired with mercy.

Second, capitalism trickles down and raises everyone up. This may be true in a society where capitalists have a conscience. But the scions of the 1% class in America think of their own pocketbooks and no one else’s. They won’t pay their fair share, so capitalism is only trickling up today.

Thirdly, a populist president can be given all the power …  to make war, to make laws, and to make taxes. Not a problem in a democracy. Oops, great big problem because this is not a democracy anymore, not a republic, not anything but a tyranny or a dictatorship.

Kimball Shinkoskey

Woods Cross, Utah