I'm going to ignore Orlnaldo and the Muslims this week.
Part of pages 66, 67, and 68, not from "I Hold These Truths," which are virtually gone. (34 at last count, and I will not re-print them,) but from a book I wrote in 1998, titled "Consequences," which I am re-reading, possibly to submit to a publisher, or maybe even to re-print. I'm not trying to be cocky, but I think I write very well. Maybe even better a long time ago, since I am now 82, but a long way from being feeble, mentally or physically. I retired because I don't want to sit at my desk all day. It is every bit as good and maybe even better than "I Hold These Truths." At any rate, this is from Chapter four, titled simply "Government." This is maybe a tenth of the chapter, but you may like it.
" I sat in my chair a short time ago, and looked about me. I observed the windows, furniture, DVD player, carpet, walls, ceiling, lights, mantle, fireplace, books, records, CD's, wall hangings, doors and even the coffee cup I was drinking from and could find nothing that government was responsible for either inventing, manufacturing or supplying. Then I went to the garage and looked at my hand and power tools, antique truck and modern car, paints caulk, brushes, caulk gun, sandpaper, air compressor, welder, heater, lumber, nails, screws, shelves, power garage opener, walls, ceiling and doors. Not a single thing came from, was made by, or supplied by government. I roamed the house, looking from the attic to the basement and found hundreds of things, ranging from Christmas lights and decorations, to the furnace, kitchen and appliances, dishes, china, silverware, pots and pans, washer, dryer, food, detergent of several types and could find nothing that government invented, manufactured, distributed, supplied, or was in any way responsible for in my entire house. I looked out a window and saw grass, trees, a sprinkler system, flowers, birds fluttering around, bird bath, lawn mower, garden tools, garden hose, nozzle, a couple of pet ducks, two dogs, iron fence, gate, sidewalk, snow shovel, bench, chairs, porches and even a few weeds, but could find nothing that was invented or received from government, or any of the thousands of items around my home or anyone's home for that matter, which government was responsible for, and yet we pay probably 75% of our income to governments at various levels (The explanation of that figure is in another chapter). Think about it! We live our lives using clothes, food, tools, cars, appliances, and furniture, just to name a few, and all were invented, manufactured and purchased, without government .
"Government can force, but it cannot invent, love, create, or design. Government force can collect your money, but it can never do anything creative, which is reserved for the mind of man. Government cannot control a mind, force someone to create, invent, wash, eat, or love. Government can prohibit the use of energy and creativeness, but none of the kings, pharaohs, potentates, presidents, or legislative bodies in history have ever succeeded in the impossible task of controlling the human mind. No law, edict or force could ever control human energy. "Control" and "Force," are totally different. Government force is supposed to be "With the consent of the governed," but that seems to be an invalid rule. Government spending, "Aid" and "Programs," have failed, because nothing but man himself can control and direct himself.
"We pay almost as much in taxes, as do the socialist states and for what? Government expensively and inefficiently doing things not authorized in the Constitution, coupled with the ability to tax us to do these things, makes us no longer free. In theory we are free, but once again, look about you and realize how intrusive government really is. If you own a home, business, farm, have a job, drive a car, go to the grocery, make a phone call, watch TV, or do any of life’s hundreds of daily tasks and pleasures; government is never far from you, with its regulations, force, rules, taxes, and specifications. Everything we use or buy, is regulated by government at some level and without the regulations ever having been voted upon by elected representatives at any level. The consequences of government seizing power gradually, unconstitutionally, over the decades and slowly enough that the citizenry didn’t notice or protest, are similar to old Gulliver, who would never have been harnessed by one Liliputian, but when hundreds and thousands of government Liliputians, over the years, have thrown their threads around us, we are completely harnessed. Governmental Liliputians, invariably thought they were doing it for our own good, or protecting us from our own mistakes or folly, not realizing that folly and mistakes are impossible to control by government. The consequences are, that our society has been weakened…as was Gulliver. If Americans were suddenly relieved of all these Liliputian threads, would we be strong enough to be independent, think for ourselves, make decisions for ourselves, and exist in a prosperous state? I must confess I am not sure, because generations of governmental effort to control us, have weakened the inborn human desire to elevate, care, improve, and think for ourselves."
Just a small part of a chapter, but I like it, and hope you do too. I have but two copies left and hadn't read it for many years. Fortunately, I have it on computer. I wonder if I should re-print it? Your comments are welcome. – 1-888-786-8822