Laws Are Assaulting Our Liberties
By Doug Hagin (06/04/03)
There is an expression we hear from time to time which goes like this; “America is a nation of laws.” And while this expression is indeed factual, it is also rapidly becoming outdated. The cold hard fact is America is a land with far, far, far too many laws.
We can not cross a street or drive or cars without being governed and effected by some law or another. And we keep seeing our local, State, and Federal governments pass more laws every year. Where will this stop?
Surely there is a place for laws in any civilized society. In fact, no civilization could ever hope to exist without laws governing certain behaviors. But laws against murder, robbery, rape, assault, or child abuse have been on the books for decades upon decades now. It is not these laws which are troublesome to those who love freedom. It is the nanny state laws which all of us should be wary of.
And to be sure these laws are assaulting our liberties everyday. Taking away our choices, our responsibilities, and in many cases our ability to pursue happiness. Seat belt laws, helmet laws, smoking laws, cell phone laws, laws which dictate when and where adults can purchase alcohol, laws banning leaf blowers, open container laws. The list goes on and on, with no end to either these laws or ones like them now being considered by legislatures across our beloved nation.
Now I can hear some of you now, defending some of the types of laws just described. Laws meant to keep us safe, and healthy, and protected. But instead of protecting us these laws actually rob us of our most precious assets, individual liberty and the right to self-determination.
How, you might ask is a seat belt law bad for freedom? After all it is a law clearly passed to reduce traffic fatalities, and that is a good thing right? Yes it is, but at what cost? In this case a piece of our freedom was lost when this crusade for safety became mandatory behavior dictated and controlled by Big Brother.
Simply and frankly put it is no one’s business, especially the government’s, if you or I wear a seat belt. It is a personal decision. Should we be foolish enough not to wear a seat belt, or a helmet while riding a motorcycle, and yes these actions are foolish, and get hurt because of our decision, then we are the only ones who pay the price. The government has no more legitimate place telling us to wear a seat belt than they do telling us what books it is OK to read.
The same applies for laws targeting cell phones and driving. These laws are not only un-American, but also unneeded as a safety measure. There are laws in every corner of this nation against careless driving. If talking on a cell phone causes us to drive poorly, we can be ticketed for endangering others.
Instead of making us safer these laws have only served to punish a behavior, which is legal, whether or not it endangers anyone. Which behavior will next be deemed unsafe and punished?
Surely smoking bans in cities across America have already begun to destroy the rights of smokers and business owners. Think of it, you own a restaurant, you pay the bills, create the menu, design the floor plan, hire the staff, yet you can not allow smoking in your own establishment.
Why? Because some nosy politicians want to control a behavior they do not care for. In this case it is smoking. But not only do these laws dictate to adults when and where they can partake of a cigarette, they also dictate which legal behaviors a private business owner can allow in his or her business.
The very same principles apply to drinking alcohol. Laws all over this nation dictate when a legitimate business, be it a restaurant, bar, or liquor store, can sell it’s products. These same laws also dictate when and in many cases where an adult of legal drinking age, may purchase alcohol.
How is it any of the government’s business? If a store wants to sell you a bottle of whiskey, or a case of beer at 6 AM, or Midnight, or anytime, who is a nosy politician to have any say in that? Oh I know there may be some citing alcoholism as a reason such inane laws are needed, but does anyone really think these laws prevent alcoholics from drinking? No they do not; all they do is infringe on the rights of the American citizens. And this is not something anyone who loves this country and freedom should be applauding.
This nation was founded in freedom. Yet every day we lose a piece of this freedom to some new law. Whether the laws intention is moral and good matters not. Whether or not the law is designed to protect our safety matters not. If the law passed infringes on our freedoms it must go.
There is supposed to be a line between laws protecting our rights and those that erode our rights. This line has been crossed over and again by those who think they know best for us. We can not turn around without tripping over one of these laws and it is time we demanded this insanity stop.
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