The major news of the week – well, OK, last week and probably this week and, depending on what pops up on the media circuit, in the coming weeks – is, of course, Egypt. The truly amazing feat of having a revolution without major chaos or bloodshed, and having the military establishment on the side of “good” – that, of course, being the rebelling protesters – should go down in history as nothing less than a miraculous achievement in itself.
Someone asked me when I thought ours would happen. “Our what? Revolution??” “Yeah. When do you think the American public will finally reach its snapping [point] and, say, everyone simply starts ignoring all the city and state ordinances and realizing [that,] as a ‘freedom-loving society,’ we are not very far from socialism?”
I have thought about that a lot, and more so every time a local council or commission passes another one of their “protective” ordinances, and when watching the North Dakota and Minnesota Legislatures drag out one more bill for the House, and then the Senate, to vote on.
I mentioned this in my last column, so I won’t go into the ones North Dakota is contemplating again. And yes, while it is my job to stay tuned in to what our elected officials determine is in the “best interest” of the many, my brain is screaming, “ARE YOU KIDDING ME??” I think my friend is overly enthusiastic in his hope that eventually the American taxpaying public will do much more than grumble and then move on to the next issue they don’t agree with, by which the majority will also be utterly baffled, yet sit idly by and say and do nothing more than grumble. After all, isn’t that how they managed to pass the non-smoking laws in Minnesota?
Yes. Or how Moorhead and Fargo passed their city law disallowing indoor smoking in any public facility. And now? Now they’ve taken it to a higher level, not allowing smoking near the entrances or even on campus!
Seatbelt usage is another one. While it isn’t a primary law in North Dakota – yet – I wouldn’t hold my breath thinking the legislators in Bismarck might not turn that one into a primary law. If they could do it in Minnesota, they’ll do it eventually in North Dakota.
Don’t get me wrong. Wearing a seatbelt is something I agree will make every driver and passenger safer. That isn’t the point. The point is, where in the Constitution of any state does it say any of us need our local or state governmental agencies to be another “mother” who sets the standard for everyone to adhere to, simply on the basis that it makes people “safer” driving in their automobile? Someone, please SHOW ME! What I don’t understand is, what’s the point of having airbags all over my car? If my government is going to mandate that I wear a seatbelt, which they have now done, why do I need airbags that have simply added to the cost of a car? Or was this just a sneaky way to do that? – add one more “safety” item and WA-LA, every car is now $4,000 more than it was prior to installed airbags!
Recently a reader sent me several quotes from Thomas Jefferson about his feelings regarding a democracy ceasing to be a democracy when the rulers of said democratic governments install too many rules and regulations. Here’s what one of our country’s founding fathers had to say:
“When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.”
“A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned – this is the sum of good government.”
“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.”
—All quotes above, from Thomas Jefferson
For a man who was around 235 years ago, he seemed to understand where we might be headed one day, didn’t he?
With this thought in mind, I decided to find some other well-known figures from our 200-year history and look at what they had to say about all the well-intentioned rules, ordinances and laws, enacted mostly within the 20th century, and if there was a common thread or theme each was preaching and, in some cases, actually warning the public to be sensitive about.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
—Abraham Lincoln
Perhaps this should be pointed out to all those among the Democratic and Republican “party” followers. What have we got in Congress today but exactly what we’ve been warned not to allow to happen?
“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”
—Abraham Lincoln
“Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”
—Mark Twain
But my favorite by Twain is this one: “Nothing so needs reforming as other people’s habits.” Boy, isn’t that the truth?! And the irony would certainly not be lost on Mark Twain, as his books that have the word “nigger” in the content are being considered “inappropriate material” for students by some socially conscious zealots who are asking for all his writing that is “inappropriate” to be banned from local schools and libraries! Good grief! What in the world will they do with “BR’ER RABBIT”?
Somewhere soon the American public really needs to get a spine and a voice, knead them together and start speaking out. Life is waaaayyy too short for dribble disputes over issues that have long been hashed out and are over. Yes, I know, there is still the problem with “those” people who simply want to find fault, or hate anyone who is not of the Caucasian race. Sooner or later those types of people will wither away on the vine from obvious lack of oxygen to their brains. Americans need to start paying attention and shouting out loud about being treated as though we’re mindless nine-year-olds who cannot begin to imagine making a decision without the government’s sealed approval. Otherwise, we will find ourselves with less freedom and fewer individual rights than all the other third-world countries and Middle-Eastern Arab nations and China. Do you really want that for yourself, or for your heirs to contend with when you are done and gone?
GREAT JOB, AND WHERE ARE THE FEMALES?
Last week when McFeely was away from his post as mid-afternoon talk jock at KFGO, Linda Coates subbed, and what a show! She called on a friend from the FM Symphony, who is Egyptian and who explained in simple but honest terms what was happening within the Egyptian government, and why the people have finally had enough and were protesting. Very helpful in understanding, even slightly, about Egypt’s present and past leadership and why the people have had enough.
Jason Spies and Bonnie Amastate and another female co-host named “Ginger G” also subbed for the Jack & Sandy Show, and aside from providing some new and interesting material, the female point of view was terrific to hear. What’s with the male dominance in talk radio anyway? – especially in talk radio show formats on our local stations? It’s really nice to hear someone bringing new topics, ideas and thoughts to the airwaves. Actually, Jason Spies was on during the early evenings for a while and he had some interesting topics and guests on. Jack and Sandy do a good job bringing local news and topics, and I’m sure their loyal listeners – probably half the valley – would have a fit, should the show change. But early evening between six and nine, there’s a huge gap for those of us who are not in tune to TV or have jobs relegating us to our cars much of the time during those hours. Think about that, KFGO or WDAY or whatever that station on 1100 is called.
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33 years and you haven’t brained me yet! Happy anniversary, Ash. YES! IT IS TODAY!!
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