Who Needs the Nanny State?

By Doug Walters

The deterioration of our rights comes in many forms. Most notably it comes in the form of the "nanny state".

To many voters these are the major issues of our day. We watch our legislators battle over them in the General Assembly, we hear analysts debate over them on the radio, and we get into heated debates about them around the water cooler. Yet, for all the debating we do, it seems like these issues persist regardless of which political party is in the majority at any given time. "But if only we could solve these problems," you say, "we could finally make some progress in this country!"

Did you know that this is exactly what your representatives in government WANT you to think?

While we are all occupied with these "major issues", our representatives in government are quite happily doing the one thing they love: maintaining the status quo. Under the status quo their jobs are secure. Their extravagant paychecks and benefits are kept intact. Their cronies and buddies are protected. As it is often said, the rich keep getting richer while the poor keep getting poorer. Anyone who tries to change the status quo is heckled, smeared, and pushed under the rug. We can find proof of this in the way that our elections are rigged to ensure that incumbents are re-elected. We can find proof of this in the way that our representatives use the educational system to churn out citizens who are happy to be manipulated by their government in the name of security.

"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations."

+ James Madison

This is an absolute truth. Consider the frog, who, when thrown into a pot of boiling water immediately leaps back out. But when he is placed in a pot of cool water, and the heat is slowly turned up, he will gladly allow himself to be boiled to death. Such is the game that our politicians play with our lives on a daily basis. For quite some time now we have been kept occupied by the "major issues" while the heat has slowly been turned up unbeknownst to many of us. Those of us who point out the rise in temperature are often met with skepticism. Consider the comments made to me recently when I voiced my disapproval of the state legislature's recent passage of a bill banning the use of electronic communication devices while driving:

"With everything else going on I can't believe someone would be worried about a ban on texting."

This is what we are taught to think and say. The person who made that statement most likely spends his days worrying about the health care bill, or illegal immigration, or federal debt levels. Little does he know that while he is busy wailing away at the "major issues" his rights are slowly being ceded away! I would argue that he would be much wiser to focus on the slow and steady deterioration of his individual rights than anything else!

This deterioration of our rights comes in many forms. Most notably it comes in the form of the "nanny state" which is defined by Wikipedia.com as a "reference to policies where the state is characterized as being excessive in its desire to protect (as a nanny would protect a child), govern or control particular aspects of society." We find these "nanny state" laws coming from all levels of government. Our government tells us who we can and cannot marry. It tells us when and where we can use our property. It tells us what we can and cannot eat or drink. And as we continue to miss the forest for the trees our government happily heaps more and more regulations upon us in the name of security and public welfare. These programs enslave us in a number of ways. First and foremost we are made prisoners of the state, constantly having to seek the state's permission to eat, drink, open a business, or drive our cars. Second, we are made prisoners to debt. These "nanny state" programs are never inexpensive and are never short-lived. We end up borrowing money or printing new money to fund these programs, neither of which increase liberty.

To those who believe it is a waste of time to complain about these "silly", "trivial", or "insignificant" issues I ask this: where do you draw the line?

Would you allow the government to mandate vaccinations?

Would you allow the government to mandate daily exercise to fight obesity?

Would you allow the government to dictate your employment so that everybody has a job?

I hope the answer to those simple questions is a resounding "NO!" If we believe that the Declaration of Independence is a correct document, then we must accept the idea that our rights to life, liberty and property come from our Creator + not from government. And since they do not come from government, they cannot be taken away by government. By ignoring these constant usurpations of our rights we are in effect handing over our liberty with a smile on our face. We allow the heat to be turned up, and we refuse to jump out of the pot.

"The free man owns himself. He can damage himself with either eating or drinking; he can ruin himself with gambling. If he does he is certainly a damn fool, and he might possibly be a damned soul; but if he may not, he is not a free man any more than a dog."

+ C.K. Chesterton

The proper role of government is to protect our rights, not to take them away. Our Founding Fathers believed that in this country, and in this state, we should be free to believe and act as we see fit as long as we are not infringing on the rights of others. We should be responsible and accountable for what we do because we are free to succeed or fail on our own merits. Government is not meant to be a crutch or a safety net! When it is used in this way, one individual or group must benefit while another individual or group suffers. That is also an absolute truth.

We are not free from the responsibility of defending our rights here in the 93rd district. Our representatives are just as guilty of abusing the authority we have given them as anyone else. Laws are passed every year that encroach upon our rights to life, liberty and property. Consider the aforementioned ban on texting while driving...when was our government given the authority to dictate when and where we can use our property? The argument in favor of this legislation is that texting and driving is an unsafe practice, and therefore it should be regulated just like driving while drunk. I vehemently disagree! Government does not have that authority, and it never has! We, as free men and women, must be able to make good and bad decisions. If I text and drive I make the decision to put my life and yours in jeopardy, but if I do not infringe upon your rights then you have no reason to punish me or regulate my behavior. That is the constitutional principle at play here. Do not tell me that this is a "non-issue" or that this does not affect our rights...it most surely does! Even more unfortunate is the fact that we pay each one of our "nannies" over $78,000 per year so that they can pass "feel-good" resolutions and harsh regulatory bills on a full-time basis. This highway robbery must be brought to an end.

This year I hope to provide the voters of the 93rd district with an alternative to the status-quo. If elected, I will continue to defend our absolute rights to life, liberty and property. I do not believe that the "nanny state" we live in today benefits us. I do not believe that our representatives, Ron Miller included, are looking out for our best interests. If you agree, then please make your voice heard by passing this message of freedom on to your friends and loved ones.