The role of government must be the protection of life, property and the free exercise of conscience.  This anchor position guides my thinking and decision making processes in all debates as to what government should or should not do.  President Grover Cleveland had the right idea when he said, “Though the people support the Government, the Government should not support the people.”  This perspective establishes the principles of limited government and self-reliance.

Protecting life must be central to what the Federal Government does in the use of resources and authorities that we, the people, give to it.  This involves the use of military force when necessary to protect our citizens at home and abroad.  It includes the protection of our borders from invasion.  It must also govern how we use military force in sovereign nations - nations that are not our own. 

The protection of property likewise must be central to the activities of the Federal Government.  I am reminded that our country is a nation of united States.  It is not a country, created by a Federal Government and carved into a variety of states.  The States have separately and independently created a common union, a common purpose for the benefit of their citizens.  This common purpose is the protection of life, property and liberty.