I'm afraid that we have
entered an age of insanity when it comes to our government. The sad
truth is that we, the electorate, are responsible for the state we
find ourselves in.
This month the National
Park Service is instituting new regulations for beach driving. Many
of us have asked why? The new rules do not appear to address any
serious problem, correct any wrong or provide any benefit to society.
We are being asked to pay fifty or one hundred twenty dollars for
the privilege of driving on our beaches. This is a privilege we have
enjoyed at no expense for many decades. So, it is apparent that we
are receiving nothing of added value for our money, but rather, it is
a racket, like paying protection to the Mafia.
Just why are we
responsible for this? For many years we have elected people to
public office who believe that government knows best, better than us,
and that bigger government can provide the solution to all our
problems. Those well intentioned office holders have passed laws and
appointed judges of the same beliefs. Government has grown out of
control and the bureaucracy they have created make the rules with
impunity. Legislators pass the laws, but they don't write most
anymore. Proposed legislation is crafted by legal minds with an
agenda, from the likes of K Street, Wall Street or some socialist
leaning organization. One congressman when asked if he had read some
monstrous piece of legislation, laughed, saying no, that's what
lawyers are for. Another well known congress person declared with a
straight face that we need to pass that bill to find out what is in
it. Well intentioned, well maybe, some of the time.
We have put ourselves in
the position of being powerless against our own government. The
public's input is pretty much an exercise in futility. We cannot say
that those who wrote our Constitution didn't warn us that this could
happen. Beach driving is the loss today. Tomorrow it could be
commercial fishing or something else we treasure like First or Second
Amendment rights. President Gerald Ford warned us, “A government
big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take
everything you have”.
There is a solution and
it won't come easy. Don't vote for anyone who promises to have
government do more for you. Vote for those who are committed to
shrinking government, and to bringing integrity, common sense and
brevity to legislation and regulation. This is a conversation we all
should be having.
