Why do we hate on the government? From the sounds of things nowadays, whatever the government touches shrivels up, turns grey, dies, and then we are taxed for it. “The government shouldn’t be teaching our kids about sex.” Fine. “We shouldn’t depend on the government for our retirement.” Fine. “The government shouldn’t interfere with my private life unless it has to do with whether or not I want a baby or if my in-laws don’t like that my husband said I didn’t want to be in a persistent vegetative state.” Fine. No. Maybe?
I ask you: what should the government be responsible for? Is there anything it can do for us? If not, why do we have one at all?
Well first I think we need to define who we are talking about when we say, “the government shouldn’t. . .” There is the state and local governments that take care of most of the things that most directly affect us everyday. They handle garbage pickup, potholes, street lights, driver’s licenses, car emissions tests, beer & liquor sales, regulation of businesses and public schools and universities and much much more. Then there is the Federal government (aka Big Brother). They take care of the national defense, interstate commerce, relations with foreign nations, regulation of the airwaves and air travel, and much more.
What’s left off the list? Healthcare for one. This is a biggy. I’m not saying that “the government” should take care of it. Heck. I currently pay for my own anyway. But what about those who live at or below the poverty level? Well they don’t have a Constitutional right to it anyway.
Come to think of it, there is no Constitutional right to an education. Public schools are a big drain on local governments. They aren’t working. People are trying to get vouchers to go to private schools anyway. And you keep saying “the government shouldn’t be teaching my child X, Y, Z.” Cut out public schools all together and you’ll never have to say it again. And the kids that can’t afford private schools? Well they have a Constitutional right to remain silent. Anything they say can and will be used against them in a court of law.
Speaking of the law. It was against the law of many Southern states for black kids to go to school with white kids. That’s until the Federal Government stepped in and told the states to comply. Many states school systems were monitored by Federal Courts to make sure they complied with the law. Many of those who were against integration in public schools resented this intrusion into their state affairs and decried that “The government shouldn’t be regulating our school system.” Now that I think about it, there were a lot of people who said “the government shouldn’t” back in those days.
The State Of . . . our government. We want it to be hands off (sex ed., my body) but hands on (expressways, the census). Where we draw the line is what makes some of us red, blue, or purple. But no matter what color we are, let’s do try to remember history.
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