What Is The Public Trust?

 There exists a notion which is almost utterly disregarded by people on the whole.  It is ignored by teachers, college professors, politicians, parents, and the so-called "media".  And yet, it is one of the most singularly significant ideas of civilized living, along with those of inherent human rights and the freedoms that they unavoidably imply with raw, implacable, and invincible force. 

Ultimately, it is the idea central to that of proper governance without which almost any horror imaginable may arise in the name of "government".

The concept to which I refer here is that of the Public Trust.  However, here my intention is not to make reference to the traditional notion of Public Trust, which speaks to the proper management of natural and other common resources such as navigable waterways, for instance.  

Rather, I am addressing a more fundamental, far broader, and very literal sense of "trust", which relevantly denotes the faith placed by one into the presumed good character of another such that the former expects the latter to speak and act in ways pursuant to the former's best interests.  I speak of the duty of those in positions of governance† to act in the best interest of those to whom they swore oaths of good faith and competent service (OOGFACS), and to whom they are thereby bound in a fiduciary capacity.  

This alternate notion of the Public Trust constitutes a Special Trust that I refer to as being fully and unbreakably owed by those who take upon themselves that mantle of obligation, to those whom their oaths have been sworn.  Here we refer to something far broader, deeper, and crucial to the interests of liberty than the usual reference.  Public Trust is a Special Trust, the terms being effectively interchangeable for all practical purposes.  I will add that a Special Trust, which is to say the Public Trust, is one the violation of which constitutes a felony of the most grave and unforgivable nature.

It is my objective now to define the term such that it serves the purposes of freedom, that all violations upon the liberties of men taken in the context of this definition cannot be validly justified or excused.

To wit:

Public Trust, noun: 

The trust implicitly invested and afforded by The People in those individuals who occupy positions of governance or other Public Service, and who have sworn oaths of good faith and competent service to The People. Having so sworn, they then bear upon themselves a duty to act in the best interests of those to whom their oaths have been solemnly promised and perfected. This promise includes, most crucially, that of refraining from, and the explicit refusal of, the commission of violations against the inherent rights of any man by act or other deed, intended or mistaken. Furthermore, if such violations occur, the violators are obliged to make all possible restitutions to those against whom they have trespassed, lest they otherwise explicitly confess themselves guilty through such failure as having intentionally committed the crime, which shall serve as a severe aggravating factor in the matter of their guilt, of which at that point there shall exist no reasonable doubt.

Special Trust, noun:

The solemn, sacred, but conditional confidence, belief, certitude, and credence of The People in those who have sworn to them oaths of good faith and competent service, the unamended and/or unrepentant violation of which constitutes a High Felony of the most grievous, egregious, and unforgivable sort and which must be punished with grim measure.

With these definitions in hand, the position of "government" is altered in significant quantum.  It becomes clear that those in positions of governance, from President to village dog catcher and mailman, are by no means the masters of the rest, but mere servants whose obligations to do no harm far outstrip any purport to authority such people might claim, real or imagined††.  That obligation stands as the first and foremost duty of all who occupy such positions of Special Trust, of the Public Trust, and when they violate and made no admission of their guilt nor effort to restore those whom they have harmed, no less than the full weight of justice is to fall upon them in all its might and fury.

The time for tolerance of the intolerable must now come to an end.  "Government" and all who occupy its halls as denizens much be put in their proper places with the clear and unmistakable understanding of what can be expected when the rights of The People are crossed.  This is the only just and proper response to the wrongs committed by such individuals in the name of "government" and "the state".  Such grave intolerance must be taken up by all men and never again neglected in even the least instance where rights have so much as been bumped against ever so gently without consent. Let it be clear that there exists no such thing as implied consent where such trespass is concerned.  This is a lie that those in "government" have foisted upon The People to further streamline their capacities for ever growing violation such that they now believe themselves entitled to do as they please, when they please, the rights of The People be damned.

Tolerate no disparagement.  Fight Themme††† every step and for ever scrap of that which is rightly yours.

Mors tyrannis!

Be good, learn all you can of that which is right and proper between people, and until next time please accept my best wishes.

†Often referred to as "government" or "the state"

††Most often imagined... or more likely schemed

††† Those in material political power, holding the ability to impose upon others changes that effect the rights of some or all people.  Politicians are the prime example of Themme, but they are not the only ones.  Anyone with such power might a member of Theire cadre, as well as those willing to act as their agents.