There are books and books of laws regulating how and when citizens are allowed to use force. Usually it is only acceptable in defense of your life or to prevent immediate bodily harm. What constitutes bodily harm and life? Some would say that anything short of murdering you is not a threat to your life, others would say as long as they weren't going to murder you, or maim you, then it wasn't a threat to your life.
So what is your life? Everybody's life is different, but everybody's life has at least one factor in common. That factor is money. If a thug mugs you in the street and takes all your money in your wallet, is he taking your life? No, but he is taking part of your life and he is threatening your life. How? Well, you trade your time and skill for that money. You use that money to buy food, pay for electricity, heat, and to pay your rent or mortgage. Without that money, how are you going to eat, stay warm, sleep? But it's only $20 you say. It may have only been $20, but you worked for that $20, you used some of your life to earn that $20, and nobody has a right to that $20. Nobody has a right to $1 of yours.
However, somebody thinks that they have a right to your $1, and to more. That somebody is the government. The government can legally steal your money through a process called taxation. They tax us under penalty of wage garnishments, jail, and worse. Simply put, they are legally forcing us to pay taxes. I say legally forcing because somewhere along they way, they passed a law that said it's OK for them to tax us and to enforce it. Now, I don't think all taxes are wrong. OK, well, I think all taxes are wrong, but I do think we should have a flat tax. Income tax, sales tax, gas tax, tobacco tax, alcohol tax, and more are all infringing on individual rights.
The difference between legal and illegal is so simple it's frightening. The only thing that separates the two is the government's word. If the government decrees that it is legal to come take your firstborn son, then it's legal. Everytime I make this example, the first thing people say is, "Isn't that a bit ridiculous? I mean, that would never happen here." When it comes to the government, nothing is ridiculous.
After hurricane Katrina, the police (government) went around to law-abiding citizens, pointed automatic rifles at them, and demanded they surrender their firearms. They beat up an old lady who had an unloaded handgun. What recourse do citizens have when armed officers arrive, wearing bullet-proof vests, and demand you surrender your property? Unless you're prepared for that sort of combat, or prepared to die, there's not much recourse. It doesn't matter if you're pro-gun or anti-gun, the fact is that these people paid money for these guns, making them the property of the individual citizens. The police of New Orleans confiscated the property of law-abiding citizens. It's no different than if the government decided to confiscate everybody's cigarettes, everybody's SUVs, everybody's anything.
Remember, with eminent domain, the government can legally confiscate your land for the 'public good.' Since the government makes the laws and controls the police and army, they have a monopoly on force. The government can literally get away with anything it wants. All it has to do is make it legal first. Just look at the state-wide smoking bans in effect, and those to come. They're even trying to regulate what you do in your own home, in terms of smoking, and even eating. The government has banned trans-fat in New York City. What's next? Who's next? I'm not saying you should panic, I'm saying you should be aware. It's hard to believe a government of the people, by the people and for the people would seek to infringe upon us in this manner, but they can, will, and have. It is important to vote, and not just vote, but being aware of the issues, and the candidates. Use your mind, it's the one thing they can never take.
© Nate Phillipps 2010
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