 Every time we pump a tank full of gasoline we know that the government
department of weights and measures has ensured we are getting a full gallon
of gas the sign says we are. When we swallow that pill the doctor ordered
for us to take to keep our body running smoother we have faith that the Food
and Drug administration has tested and re-tested that pill to pronounce it
as “safe” to take. If you really want to get the scoop on the pill before
you swallow it simply open a Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR) to find the
pill you are taking and read pages of fine print from the chemical structure
of the pill to possible interactions and side effects.
There are many, many things the government helps with making our lives safer
and many things various agencies do to make our lives easier to protect us
from unscrupulous people who would take advantage of us. The government
requires truth in lending when we go into a bank or loan company with laws
that require the lender to post the amount of interest that will be charged,
how much of the payment will be dedicated to the principle and how much
toward the interest. The government requires specific level of safety
standards in each of the cars built and sold in the United States and demand
“recalls” when infractions of safety are discovered post manufacture so they
can be fixed. We can feel relatively safe when we buy food items produced in
the United States knowing the Agricultural Department has established strict
standards effective during the planting, growing and harvesting processes of
food. Even the preserving and preparation of the food is governed by strict
laws and regulations.
When we buy or remodel a house or building for our business there are
standards for construction for the materials used for building as well as
the codes established for the actual building of the structure. Wiring,
plumbing, types of paint, environmental regulations down to the actual
lighting are all controlled by government regulations even to the specifics
of the types of licenses the builders must have. Through the years all of
those things have been established by the government to maintain safety and
fairness for those things that touch the public and each individual citizen.
The fact is, just about every facet of life is affected in some way by a
government rule, law, regulation or code that must be followed. For the most
part, those things are intended for our safety and peace of mind in knowing
we are purchasing goods and services that provide what they purport to
deliver. There is a tipping point, however, and we must always be vigilant
to that point.
Perhaps the thing that makes the line about the government being here to
help becomes funny, or perhaps tragic, is when the government begins to go
overboard with the laws, codes, regulations and requirements. When the
government establishes standards of food preparation we might feel safe with
the restaurants in which we eat, but when the government goes after the
little 9-year-old girls who sell lemonade in their front yard on a hot
summer day for not having a public health inspection seal on their pitcher
of lemonade. By requiring homemade breads sold at the local farmer’s market
to have warning labels that warn the public the bread was baked in a kitchen
that has not been inspected by the government public aid department has
likely gone too far in the intrusive lane.
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 When the government attempts to make people purchase things like
insurance and buy coverage that is not needed or wanted, the
government has become too intrusive. When the government mandates
employers to purchase certain kinds of services or products that
interfere with individual liberties or religious freedoms, the
government has become too intrusive. When the government uses its
agencies to target groups of people the current political
Administration does not agree with, the government has become too
intrusive. When the government agency impedes Congressional
investigations into criminal activities from government employees
and shields those employees with “executive privilege,” the
government has become too intrusive. When a government agency
establishes a pervasive spying network to eavesdrop on citizens’
private phone or emails without a warrant and obstructs the
Constitution of the United States, the government has become too
intrusive. When the Attorney General of the United States
establishes a program that ends up with guns getting into the hands
of drug lords and enemies of the country with American citizens
dying because of the policy and practice, the government has gone
too far and has become too intrusive.
When the government has packed ideological persuasive people in
high-ranking positions that run counter to the laws of the land and
refuse to enforce the laws of the land causing a weakening of the
Constitution, the government has grown to such an extent it becomes
dangerous by intruding on the freedoms of the people in favor of the
autocratic few. It is those times that the average citizen begins to
cringe when the government agent arrives on the doorstep of a
person’s house and announces, “I am from the government, and I am
here to help.”
When a person hears that phrase from the IRS, FBI, DOJ, CIA,
Department of Agriculture, Department of Public Health, or any other
federal, state or local government agency, the citizen is not really
expecting anything funny; they are expecting something that will
more than likely do them harm. Ultimately, in today’s
government-controlled world, when that phrase is uttered by a
government agent, the person to whom it is directed should either
have an attorney present or hold on to their wallet.
The reason why people are generally not in favor of wanting a big,
bloated government is partly because some of the people in the
positions of government gain too much power. This is especially true
for those people who have been in positions of power for long
periods of time. The simple truth is, a great deal of power over a
long period of time has a tendency to corrupt the individual who
holds that power. That corruption is manifested in many different
ways: Using laws and regulations for personal gain, extending favors
to special friends to solidify power, establish a series of
policies, regulations and laws that solidify that power and
influence, direct resources from public holdings to private use and
escape the punishment effect of the rules, regulations, policies and
laws by exempting their effect on the person who holds the office.
[By JIM KILLEBREW]
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