Abraham Lincoln, in the first passage of his speech delivered to the Young Men’s Lyceum of Springfield in 1838, conveys the reality of citizens reaching a point of such frustration with the government that they are willing to act outside the boundaries of the law. Lincoln begins with the idea that innocent people, who are law-abiding and aware of the confines of the government, "those who have ever set their faces against violations of law in every shape, alike with the guilty, fall victims to the ravages of mob law; and thus it goes on, step by step, till all the walls erected for the defense of the persons and property of individuals, are trodden down, and disregarded." To these citizens, the government has lost all sense of what is important and does not heed to the needs of society. As a result, what else can the people resort to? What can be expected of them to do? They have to make ends meet and need to carry on with their lives. Lincoln remarks that this spirals into action in which those that are "lawless in spirit" become "lawless in practice." There's no organization, no method of judgement, and the people become free to do what they wish. These people view the government in a negative manner, referring to it as their "deadliest bane," and wish to eradicate it.
Lincoln then presents the other perspective in society. There are those who advocate for peace and harmony, but even they have a tipping point. They see their lives being torn apart with no structure to piece it back together, and become numb to the government, instead preferring to see it changed or removed, as indicated by the "mobsters." To them, the "Government is offering no protection," and again, how much can they endure before they erupt and enact their own change? Lincoln is displaying the oft-ignored aspect of the government failing to act-how the people respond. Unfortunately, the ideas of Lincoln's speech have carried over into the present-day of 2015, where a government shutdown was narrowly averted, yet still looms in our midst.
A mere couple of weeks ago, the United States government encountered yet another debacle regarding their spending caps and cuts. After countless arguments among Republicans and Democrats about where to direct government funding, a potential government shutdown emerged, as no agreement was reached. And to add to the brouhaha, John Boehner, House Speaker, announced his resignation, a great blow to the Republican-run Congress. Although the government shutdown seemed inevitable, the Senate approved a temporary funding measure that would, quite literally, keep the government up and running past the midnight deadline. The bill would prevent a partial shutdown, similar to that which occurred in 2013, and would finance the government through December 11th, which allows for more negotiation regarding the government budget for the 2016 fiscal year.
In the wake of such events, Lincoln's words accurately foreshadow a "new normal" should the government shut down. The government's inability to agree on its spending affects everyone at large. Although they have the segment of society that still remains placid for the time being, there's only a certain amount they can absorb before they too resort to disobeying government laws. There will always be the mobsters, but the innocent will begin to rally as well. The government shutdown contains tremendous implications and repercussions, because, over history, people react the same way when faced with a negative environment. The government has a lot to consider in the next few weeks, and their actions weigh heavily on their citizens. One of the functions of government is to maintain order, but if they can't even organize themselves, how can they expect to control their citizens? This is a precarious path to perch on, and could have grave consequences, as Lincoln mentioned, if not dealt with properly.
