The computer is a marvelous device and there seems to be no end to its use as a means of communication. Whether you use it as for its Skype function, Facebook or personal blog, buying or selling on eBay or just simply sending and receiving e-mail, it opens up a fascinating world of possibilities. The ability to get detailed information about a medication or locate a motel when traveling makes me wonder how we managed 50 years ago when a computer at the Air Forces Lincoln Laboratory in Massachusetts took up an entire floor of a very large government building and its capacity was less than a handheld calculator that we give to 3-year-old children today. We have come a long way, but wealso can spend an incredible amount of time on a computer unless we pay attention to our goals on time management.
In keeping with my own objectives of trying to stay informed but also not wanting to become addicted to information, I read information on only a few web sites. One of these is from a company called AGORA Financial (www.agorafinancial.
com) and their “free” information is provided through a release called The Daily Reckoning.
Several writers contribute information to this daily publication and the topics vary even within aday’s publication. Some topics relate to finance, but the majority have to do with general information and all the way up to world politics.
A recent offering, posted on March 26, 2011, by one of their contributors named Don Cooper, was written about fear. He believes, and I certainly concur after thinking about it, that we live in “fear of the government.” I also agree with him that our actions are “hard to recognize and acknowledge.” When I stop and think about it for a few minutes, it is easy to see we are conditioned from our very early encounters to “fear authority.” (I offer this information on AGORA and Don Cooper’s article to advise you this site is free and to give Mr. Cooper credit for making me think aboutthis topic.)
A personal situation arose recently that made me aware of how easy it is to not challenge the government when they have made an error. In this case the money was not a big factor since it cost far more in time and expense than the correction provided. But, if we look at principle and weigh the risk of not doing what we believeis right, the decision to question a decision becomes more obvious. If we are to ever take back control of our government we must risk a little to keep ourselves aware of how easy it is to lose our freedom of choice. It is easy to find a reason, or multiple reasons, not to rock the boat, but keeping government (at all levels) accountable is our responsibility.
When did you last see an officer of the law sitting at the side of the road and not immediately check your speedometer?
I believe this is a human reflex because we don’t want a speeding ticket and all the consequences that follow - a fine and time required to handle it. We can get a ticket for not having our seatbelt fastened when we drive, or we can receive a ticketif we allow our dog to run loose without a leash. We are penalized if we don’t assess our property on time and are also penalized if we don’t pay our taxes on time. We are truly a nation of laws. We can probably agree most of our laws are beneficial for society, but they are all enforced with a penalty for failure to obey. The more severe the “crime” or law that is broken, the greater the consequence.
The ultimate penalty is loss of one’s life for certain circumstances where one takes the life of another person or persons.
As a child I remember being told that a policeman would “get me” for undesirable behavior.
Respect for the law starts from something like that and/or a desire to please to avoid whatever penalty we fear. And, the most powerful threat in most of our lives is the threat of our government. Whether it be the Internal Revenue Service, or an elected person who holds a position of authority and is willing to use that power for their own personal benefit, it is still government.
The threat of retaliation too frequently keeps us from defending ourselves or speaking out against a situation we believe to be wrong. It is so much easier to object or voice a negative opinion if we are part of a group which is recognized for its numbers - such as the T.E.A. Party’s voice now being heard inWashington.
None of us want to get caught up in the legal system which frequently follows asking too many questions. However, if our nation is to survive as a free society, we must be bold enough to stand up for what we believe even if it is time consuming, and sometimes it can be scary.
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Editor’s note: Leo Lynch, a native of Benton County has deep roots in northwest Arkansas. He is a retired industrial engineer and former Justice of the Peace. He can be contacted at prtnews@nwaonline.
com.
Opinion, Pages 4 on 04/13/2011