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How many times have you heard someone say "the government should do something about that?"
My wife and I were walking our dog by an uninhabited subdivision the other day and she said that. I just couldn't resist; I told her that is precisely why the government is so large and obtrusive today. No matter the cause, many are noble, we don't need government to do another blessed thing for or to us.
This mentality has seeped into our very being. We see what we think may be an injustice and we say "the government should do something about that." And guess what? It does, and every once in a while we hear of another law or regulation coming into our lives and we complain, even though we say the government should do something.
I read these silly online surveys that ask if you support legislation to blah, blah, blah. I always answer "no." Folks, if we don't want our kids to drive until they reach a certain age, then don't let them drive. No matter the issue, we seem to check our common sense at the nightstand when we wake up in the morning.
God gave us all of the laws that we need to live a moral life. Loving our neighbors and helping others is something that only we can do. It is not the government's responsibility to live our lives, which is what it is trying to do in every way.
I do not propose an anti-government sentiment aimed at people in government; I propose that we citizens in America lead by example. Take responsibility for all of our actions, raise our families to do so as well, make sure our children are educated, (yes that is a parent's responsibility), help and care for others, especially those who cannot care for themselves, take an interest in our communities, love each other and our neighbors.
If we can do those few things, many other things will fall into place and we will be doing for ourselves what the government thinks it can do. We don't need a massive, bloated and hyper-expensive government running our lives. Let the government take care of those who do not want to live by God-given rules.
Jim Gorman
Gainesville