Posted by
Gunner4_theLord on Wednesday, June 18, 2008 3:39:20 PM
If there's anything that drives my more liberal-minded friends nuts in a heartbeat, it's me bringing up anything that calls for relying on personal responsibility. The current topic of their angst is our local garbage collection. Apparently, having to call up the trash company and arrange to have your rubbish removed has become so complicated that an ordinary citizen cannot complete the task alone. Thankfully, our local City Government has jumped into the fray to take this matter off our hands.
I am, of course, elated that the same entity that cannot seem to properly staff our Police Department, cannot consistently enforce it's own Bible-sized book of codes, and is led by our woefully unpopular Mayor, is now going to assist me in this important part of my life. It all seems so simple. Getting the 3 local trash companies to put in bids to win the right to charge me to remove my trash. The "winner" will become the only trash company to be allowed to operate in the city. The full weight of City Hall will be brought to bear to insure me a good deal. The Mayor, Public Works Director and City Council are all involved to insure consistency and legitimacy of the entire process. These are the same bargain hunters who built a water feature in the middle of town for $14,000 (give or take $10k depending on who's telling the story) using materials I could have picked up at The Home Depot for about $4,000. However, a trip to Depot might involve getting myself glued to the toilet seat, but I digress.
I like the people at City Hall, I really do. I disagree with them on most things, but they're nice people doing their best. I just don't want them making decisions for me. They make a lot of decisions for me anyway. My friends at City Hall, County Offices, State House and Capitol Hill. All happily "helping me" along the road of life. Where should I educate my 3 wonderful children? Well, they covered that for me. No need for me to take my money and find a school that offers my views or beliefs, naw they have a nice school right down the road and they conveniently remove the funds from my paycheck to provide it for me (well and some other people who don't get a paycheck, per se). Lots of people in Government are getting paid to babysit me and keep me safe from my own decisions.
My parents handled this job for 16 years or so, then they set me loose to make it or break it. My parents rarely check in to give me advise or help. I appreciate the fact that they are there if I need them, in time of disaster. I also appreciate the fact that they leave me alone pretty much. I am free to make decisions and mistakes. They have taught me what a good decision is like, and to learn when I make a mistake. Hopefully, to not repeat the same mistake (like say, building my house below sea level). When I encounter something I feel I can't handle I call up and get some refresher advice. Sometimes my mom gives out some refresher advice on her topics of specialty and I get the same feeling as when the Mayor tells me he's found me a garbage company.
At my house, I am the Government. Well, okay I'm the Vice President and I'm mostly kept to making treaties with foreign land and lawn maintenance and things where children or animals vomit or poop. However, I am the law. I am the Government. It occurs to me that I am a meddling government at times and I need to correct this, I need to maintain the Rule of Law. I have laid down good guidelines for my country's inhabitants (3 kids, 3 dogs and Hermann the turtle). They know my boundaries and they know that I am there to provide security in times of danger. So when I tend to want to help my daughter pick friends who don't have tattoos or excess holes in themselves, don't drink, don't smoke, don't curse, and aren't males of the species, I need to remember how I feel about the government invasion to my selection of a trash hauler. I enjoy the freedom of the hunt. Laying out the pros and cons and making a decision that I have to be responsible for in the long run.
Then, my favorite freedom is the freedom to admit I was wrong, or mad and decide to make a new decision. How am I supposed to do that when the Government took away my choices?