I read and hear constantly about the need to “cut down the size of government,” about pubic concern over “too much government” and the evils of “big government.”
So, how does government get so big?
I see two major causes: First, government views the public as incapable of taking care of itself. Second, and more often than not, the public behaves like it cannot take care of itself.
The adage, “If we could constitutionally prohibit stupidity, we would live in a better country” comes with some merit.
I also know this to be true and mention it frequently: When we cannot manage ourselves, someone else will manage us, and we will not like it.”
Here’s today’s example of how the lack of self-management leads to big government –there’s talk of more legislation aimed at people who behave stupidly when they drive.
Kentucky and many other states have or soon will have laws prohibiting text messaging on hand-held devices while operating motor vehicles. Advertisers and marketers have convinced Americans that they must constantly mind cell phones and mobile devices. And they have convinced us to consider vehicles meant to get us from Point A to Point B as “houses on wheels.”
Anyone with an ounce of common sense knows that typing and driving at the same time significantly increases the chances of an accident. But the same public that groans about more government intervention often behaves stupidly, and so we get more government intervention.
This week, a woman pulled up in her car next to me at a stoplight. Sitting on her chest, nattily dressed in a pink, spandex overcoat, was a Chihuahua.
Is driving with a dog on your chest any less dangerous or distracting than text messaging? I doubt it. Nor is driving on the interstate at more than 70 miles per hour while putting on makeup and controlling the steering wheel with a knee. But I saw that last week, too.
So, do we need laws prohibiting Chihuahuas from cavorting on our bodies while we drive or that prohibit “kneeing” your way down the interstate while getting ready for a big date? Of course not, but here they come.
I could go on about smoking bans instituted because people want to kill themselves and others or about bans on serving unhealthy food at restaurant because Americans love obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart attacks. Indeed, some would tell you we have a constitutional guarantee to all those things.
Yeah, right.
When it comes to “big government,” Americans get what they deserve — no more and certainly no less.
Resources:
- http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1983320/posts
- http://stop-big-government.meetup.com/
- http://biggovernment.com/
- http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/10/...
- http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/092009/...
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