Should elected officials be allowed to take trips on corporate jets?

Yes

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by David Dibattiste

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We have a government that is of the people and for the people. It exists to defend the rights of every American, from the strongest and richest to the poorest and weakest. Naturally, it frightens us to think that corporations may be subverting our democracy in any way, but we can't forget why we fear it.

Our freedoms are very dear to us, and we should defend it, but let us not forget that our elected officials, while being politicians, are just as American as any of us are. They too deserve their freedoms, and those freedoms include the right to drive any vehicle that has not been deemed illegal. Private jets, while terrifying and corporate in nature, fall in place here.

Don't get me wrong I don't want my say in our government to go unheard simply because I don't have as much money as Microsoft. Luckily, that's not what would happen, and there's nothing to fear.

With the aid of political reforms, the press, and the internet, our modern political structure is more transparent than it has ever been in history. If a politician gets a ride in a private jet, those who want to know will know all about it. If his position on a related matter suddenly changed, the media would go crazy and an investigation would be launched immediately. Forgive me for being so blunt, but our elected officials aren't that stupid.

These people who serve our nation should not be denied the freedoms they help protect for us. Contributions are logged and made public. Trips and meetings with corporate figures no longer happen in secret, especially when there's a rather large jet involved. If we take away their freedom to travel as they wish, we're sacrificing one of the ideals of our country for a superficial, slight feeling of security.

Where does it end? If we're willing to take one freedom away that we might feel slightly more secure, what others can we destroy as to make us feel safer in our democracy than ever? Perhaps we should record every minute of the life of every American. It's sacrificing privacy, but it would also effectively catch criminals. We'd be more secure, that's for sure. The question is: is our security worth so much to us that we would sacrifice the freedoms that make us who we are?

A police state is a far cry from this one freedom, but everything starts somewhere. The first steps of Chancellor Adolf Hitler were hardly huge either, but we all know how that turned out. Not only is it morally wrong to deny our public servants their freedom, but it also sets a precedent that's inherently dangerous to our entire way of life.

A corporation with a jet will never control the Senate. It will never infringe on the rights of others, so there is no purpose in taking away that right. In the end, we, the people, are the ones elected officials need the approval of to continue in office.

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