Lunatic Fringe is Looney Again

Larry, why do you feel so disenfranchised? You have a good education. You are intelligent and you could be smart. Why do you feel so alienated from the government? You are beginning to sound like someone who does not understand government’s role in society.

Saying Sheriff Evan’s belief the "purpose of government is to protect people", is wrong is an example. Law Enforcement is just one part of government and I am happy to hear our Sheriff feels a main responsibility is protection. When I need help, beyond the family and friends, dialing 9-1-1 works really well.

I admit when I read the Sheriff’s Press Release about the collaboration with the school system to create a strong relationship with students made me sit back and think. I wondered whether having law enforcement wander through the school during classes and also at after school events was a good thing or threatening. The idea is have students interact regularly with representatives of law enforcement and develop friendships and have positive relationships. Okay, I am cool with that; I always introduced my sons to police officers. Once I was stopped for a ticket and asked the officer to talk to my young sons and show them his patrol car. I didn’t want my sons to fear the police but to see them as a source of help in an emergency.

The government was formed by a group of men. A good idea. Our Constitution means everything to us and I believe we the people do all we can to insure we don’t forget how important our democracy is to give us the freedoms we enjoy.

Why does the connection between an individual being required to wear a seatbelt and the benefit being realized by not only the individual but the people who wipe up the brain splatter of those who don’t, the rest of us who pay the bills to maintain this individual who wanted to feel the wind in his hair or not be strapped in to prevent being mangled after being ejected from his car, escape you? I suppose if we could just shoot the person to put him out of his individual misery at the scene or roll his carcass down the hill so we wouldn’t have to deal with the mess his personal freedom left for the rest of us it wouldn’t be so bad, are you ok with that?

I’m not protecting that idiot, you fool, I’m protecting myself, my individual right not to be bothered by your need to be a lunatic, to mess up my road, to waste my money on your feeding tube. So what about my individual right, to not have to deal with your right to be an idiot.

Lastly, we are a government of the people, by the people, for the people. I participate in my government. I see my friends and neighbors in this government. We don’t always agree. It is not always the way I want it. That is what makes our government so great. It is we, it is a democracy, and we all get our say. It’s been that way since the Constitution was written and as long as we continue to participate and be involved in our government, we are not governed, we are the government.