"There is no greater tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of the law and in the name of justice.” ― Montesquieu
The words of Montesquieu are a stinging reminder of the power of government to dictate our lives. Of course, it’s always "for the good of the people", in the name of "security", or "for the children". The justification for government overreach is always wrapped in the blanket of benevolence.
Yet, in the process of their benevolence, the message is clear to those who really think about it… we’re too dumb to be trusted. They may shroud their arguments in all kinds of flowery language and sorry justifications, but all of that changes nothing. To them, they’re the superiors and we’re the inferiors. And by the way, we just need to get over it and accept it. They may not say it that way, but that’s exactly what they mean.
Unfortunately, much of our North Dakota state legislature is not exempt from this behavior. One need look no further than the current legislative session to find examples of it.
Just yesterday the House voted down Dental Therapy in North Dakota. These trained professionals could provide a great service to North Dakota, especially rural areas, but rather than letting the Free Market work, these so-called Republicans chose to protect the dentists of the state and not allow this choice to North Dakotan’s. Yes, truly we are not intelligent enough to decide what care is best for us. We need the Almighty Legislature to figure that one out for us.
Yesterday afternoon a hearing was held for the "Food Freedom Act". A bill that would permit individuals to buy and sell raw milk and other homegrown foods. Multiple legislators told me this bill has an uphill battle to wage. Heaven forbid should the people be trusted to choose whether they buy or sell a jar of raw milk or not. I suppose it was difficult for those highly intelligent legislators to be in the same room with the group of imbeciles that packed the committee hearing in favor of the Food Freedom Act. In fact, so many of them that the hearing had to be moved to a different room.
Perhaps one of the most insulting votes of the day – and potentially one of the most insulting of the legislative session – also took place yesterday when the House voted down a bill that would empower parents in the education of their children. The bill would have required school districts to:
"Respect and support the right of a parent to opt a child of the parent out of public school and any activity, practice, or testing, with no interference from the state, which the parent finds unacceptable or to which the parent has a philosophical, moral, or religious objection."
I took some heat recently from someone in education for my article titled, "Stop Raising the Government’s Kids". This individual took offense to my idea that parents really don’t have as much say over their child’s education as they thought they did. Read the above statement from the bill the House voted down and tell me again how I’m wrong? You’re only empowered to the degree in which they want you to be.
The reality is that too many legislators in Bismarck look at the people that elected them as being far more uninformed than they are. And speaking out against them gets you called an "extremist" or a "tiny faction". In the case of some, they agree with the Forum who called supporters of the Stop Common Core movement "foolish" and "stupid". According to these folks, we need them. We cannot live without them. We’re just not smart enough.
So, the next time you want to battle against the Almighty Legislature, just remember how intellectually deficient you are. That will keep you in your place. Or, on second thought, if you want true change… remind your friends and neighbors how we’re being treated by those we elected. Then when it comes time for the next election, organize and boot them out. Failure to do that would be… well… dumb.
