In 1944, two American kids, Ed Jaksha and Bob Wright, hit the beaches of Normandy to save the world. “Never surrender,” Winston Churchill had said. There was no surrender in these freedom-loving lads, or in thousands more like them.
Fifty years after storming the beaches of Normandy, Jaksha and Wright stormed the parking lots Nebraska to collect signatures on petitions petitions to place term limits on state legislators and members of Congress, to restore citizen control of government the same mission they’d risked their lives for half a century ago. Nebraska officials told them the law required a certain number of signatures.
They got the signatures and the voters passed term limits with 68 percent. But then came a lawsuit. In the end, the state supreme court arbitrarily raised the signature requirement after the fact and threw out the people’s vote for term limits … after all the signatures had been collected the court changed the requirement. Contemptible.
But Jaksha and Wright charged back into action. Even more signatures were gathered and the voters again said yes with a 68 percent vote. Again a lawsuit and again the state supreme court flouted the law and killed term limits. But now the voters had had enough; they booted the judge responsible out of office.
Best of all, Nebraska activists are right now collecting signatures to give the people a third opportunity to enact term limits. These patriots never surrender.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.