Local v. Federal Gov't

One reason people should be wary of gov't is the power it posseses. An unruly neighbor, an offensive employer, an insensitive clerk; none of of these can deprive you of your liberty. While some private institutions such as a bank, can deprive you of your property, this is only possible through the law; and law is made by the gov't. No private enterprise that I am aware of can deprive you of your liberty. The government can. The gov't can take everything you own and put you in prison. Though the gov't can only do what the law allows it to do, this is of little solace since it makes the law. What it cannot do today, it could do tommorow. That was why the Constitution was written; to limit what the federal gov't can do rather than states or municipalities. The further decisions are made from the people affected by the law, the less control people have over it, and the less responsive gov't is. An oppresive local gov't is easier to remedy than an oppresive national gov't. Even taking the horrors of Jim Crow into account, we have less to fear from local gov't than federal gov't. If all else fails, it is easier to find a new town or state than a new country.