HELP AFFECT CHANGE
THROUGH LEGISLATION
By Melvin Adams - President & COO of Renewanation
O
NE OF THE AMAZING things about this country is
every citizen has the potential to influence legislation
in ways that can bring tremendous good to all. Few things
have more impact on our daily lives than legislation. On the
issue of education, this is definitely true.
Unfortunately, few Americans actually use their oppor-
tunities to influence legislation positively. I challenge you
to think differently about legislation and realize that your
actions can bring much positive change.
First, let me be clear. Good legislation is NOT the ultimate
answer for America, God is. Only a spiritual renewal will
bring substantive and lasting change for the betterment of
our families, communities, and nation. But legislation will
also be part of the framework of that change as it happens.
What I mean by legislation
When our forefathers formed this nation, they wisely under-
stood that laws were an essential underpinning for a people
seeking freedom. Laws establish the extent and boundaries
of liberty, for freedom only functions when it does not
infringe on the liberty of another. So, from the very begin-
ning, the United States was designed to be a nation governed
by the rule of law. These laws were not to be established by
decree but by the will and consent of the people. They were
to be formed and enforced by the people’s representatives.
The framework for this form of government is found in
the book of Exodus from guidance Moses received from God
and people for his leadership of Israel. God established the
Law for the liberated children of Israel when he presented
them with the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. These
44
Laws still remain an almost universal standard for basic
human governance in the world today. In early America,
they were inscribed on the walls and halls of courthouses,
taught in school houses, and preached from pulpits of
church houses across the land! How times have changed.
Why is that?
Legislation is always a response to something
Our Constitutional Fathers established three branches
of government: the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial
branches. They also formed three levels of that government:
the Federal, State, and Local branches. This design was
intentional, ensuring a healthy balance of power by adequate
exposure to and input from the people.
They rightly understood that government and law reflect
the moral character of the culture, and culture is always a
direct reflection of the moral condition of the people. Culture
is what the people embrace as a life practice. Government
and law respond to ensure it.
Concerns have been expressed about this process
There are volumes of documented reflection on this reality
dating from the time of our nation’s founding to the present.
I illustrate with only a few statements chosen from early
American leaders who share my last name.
John Adams (Signer of the Declaration of Independence
and Second President of the United States):
“It is religion and morality alone which can establish the
principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only
foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue.”