
If I could rid the country of one saying that would bring us back together more than any other, I would toss this in the dustbin of history: There ought to be a law.
And before the local lefties, commies and right wing nuts go all “Craig Hall is calling for anarchy!” on me (even though some will because, well, they will) please note, I’m not talking about criminal laws here. Even though some of those could well be addressed. The fact is, government, people in government, and those who elect and bankroll people and laws are really who this column is about.
Why? Simple. They want government to force at the barrel of a gun how people live and what they think, say and do. As for me it’s just as simple. I don’t. I won’t even get into the irony — disconnect, insanity, stupidity— of how everything government touches it pretty much ruins. History is riddled with examples.
Yet, we’re doing it again this election cycle.
We’re asked to re-elect the person (whew, that was close, almost said …) who closed our businesses, told folks they were or weren’t essential and destroyed lives, livelihoods and our economy through — you guessed it — emergency powers granted by others in government we elected who thought emergency powers were a good idea when a crisis hits.
Two things are guaranteed when this occurs. First and most obvious, there will always be an emergency. Second, and much more to the party out of power’s dismay, they only meant if when their party was in power. See, government forcing a way of life or thinking is only good for the one in power, never for the ones not in power or the vast majority of us who simply want freedom and to be left alone.
Yet in every election, people vote for those they desire to wield power over those who think, believe and act differently. And once re-elected (ironically because so-called freedom-loving Republicans didn’t nominate someone who thinks and acts like a small percentage of the party demands, splitting the vote once again to snare defeat from the jaws of victory), Gov. Polis will continue to rule as he has. I’m betting he’ll be worse because re-election does that to tyrants.
It’s the same for our incumbent congressional candidate. TV ads are running all over hysterically screaming how Lauren Boebert will “outlaw abortion if re-elected.” A couple of points to make here. First, Boebert has made it no secret since her first campaign she is anti-abortion. You know she is because Democrats spread lies she had an abortion — making her a hypocrite when those ads should have declared her a hero, but I digress. Second, it’s just her belief. Third, no one voted “for” abortion as federal law. It was done via court cases. And a court case overturned it. Just the Supreme Court doing what it does on things not the federal government’s business.
On this third point, if you open your eyes, you’ll see the problem. No one on the left had a problem with SCOTUS abortion decisions when it suited their desire for unfettered abortions for anyone at any time. Hell, it even made those elected learn some Latin. “Stare decisis” anyone? But when a SCOTUS ruling removes this “law of the land,” all of the sudden marriage rights, LGBTQ rights and every and all minority rights are going to be abolished. Many folks predicted the ruling in Roe v. Wade would turn America into an abortion-as-birth-control state. It did, and the numbers prove it. Now that Roe has been overturned, other than some designed press releases and “stories” at the outset which were reported on, leftist concerns haven’t come into fruition. On one the hand, predictions came true. On the other hand, not so much.
And don’t jump on the “anti-Abortion” laws. Those laws are as crazily far right as the insane far left laws passed while Roe was in effect. The problem lies in the fact those on the fringes have no problem with either of them being made law. Once again, government laws for me but not for thee. For me, it’s just another thing government shouldn’t touch. But we live in a society in which many use government to force their feelings so, naturally, our government sticks its nose in and then helps itself to power. That’s why abortion is in almost all Democrat ads and “life” is in almost every Republican ad.
Locally we have initiatives for the City of Grand Junction to “combat” the affordable housing crisis by raising rates on taxes passed years ago to do something else. So, we’re literally trying to pass laws for government to fix something while knowing it only raises taxes while giving itself more power to fix nothing. Worse, the folks pushing these “feel good” initiatives are local Democrats. How do I know? The do-gooders (led by an individual who ran for our board of education on an agenda that would make Lenin) press release came from the local Democrat chairman. Betcha didn’t know that.
I have no problem helping to fix any of the issues in this column in a respectful, constitutional, private manner. But we’ll never get there giving government more power. We have the power. Why are we giving it away?
Craig Hall is owner and publisher of the Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com.