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A few months ago, I began thinking about Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Gandhi was searching for truth and helped build a nation. King had a dream of bringing us all together without discrimination.
Both were men of peace. They also thought that localism was the key to their dilemmas.
It was only once their respective movements began to gain lives of their own that the movements went national.
There have been other famous nation-builders whohave had dreams and quests. These men we do not celebrate with the same type of thoughts. Hitler, Stalin and Mao each had a movement that went from being localized to national.
The difference these nation-builders believed in was that they were willing to force their will upon others through the law or at gunpoint.The only defense they believed in was their own.
I look at our government today and begin to wonder. What kind of men are these? Our legislative, judicial and executive branches have become unresponsive to the individual cries and shouts of “Leave me alone.” They just keep telling us, through words and actions, that they know what is best for us.
What makes these people think they know what is best for some hick from rural Missouri? I left my mother and father years ago. I have fed and clothed myself just fine up until now without the government telling me how to live my life.
The day I left home, I realized that I was on my own and that I alone was responsible for my actions and well-being. If I dealt with people in an unfair manner, my well-being would suffer.
These folks who are smiling and telling me how great things are, and who are telling me that things will only get better if I accept their rules and handouts, are crooks at best and liars at worst.
There is no such thing as a free lunch.
Science tells us this through the law of conservation of energy, and life tells us this. It is self-evident that every time we take money from these so-called leaders, we are only indenturing ourselves that much more. I will not be a slave to another’s whims.
As Missourians, we have the over-used motto “show me." I think I do not want these folks to show me any more of what they have to offer.
A few months ago, I began thinking about Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Gandhi was searching for truth and helped build a nation. King had a dream of bringing us all together without discrimination.
Both were men of peace. They also thought that localism was the key to their dilemmas.
It was only once their respective movements began to gain lives of their own that the movements went national.
There have been other famous nation-builders whohave had dreams and quests. These men we do not celebrate with the same type of thoughts. Hitler, Stalin and Mao each had a movement that went from being localized to national.
The difference these nation-builders believed in was that they were willing to force their will upon others through the law or at gunpoint.The only defense they believed in was their own.
I look at our government today and begin to wonder. What kind of men are these? Our legislative, judicial and executive branches have become unresponsive to the individual cries and shouts of “Leave me alone.” They just keep telling us, through words and actions, that they know what is best for us.
What makes these people think they know what is best for some hick from rural Missouri? I left my mother and father years ago. I have fed and clothed myself just fine up until now without the government telling me how to live my life.
The day I left home, I realized that I was on my own and that I alone was responsible for my actions and well-being. If I dealt with people in an unfair manner, my well-being would suffer.
These folks who are smiling and telling me how great things are, and who are telling me that things will only get better if I accept their rules and handouts, are crooks at best and liars at worst.
There is no such thing as a free lunch.
Science tells us this through the law of conservation of energy, and life tells us this. It is self-evident that every time we take money from these so-called leaders, we are only indenturing ourselves that much more. I will not be a slave to another’s whims.
As Missourians, we have the over-used motto “show me." I think I do not want these folks to show me any more of what they have to offer.
These devils need to go away and let us govern ourselves. We know what is best for our community, and it is not hand outs and regulation that we need.
We need to be left to our own devices. We can, will and have worked out our problems locally. It is fairly simple, but not easy.
Hard thought, hard work, and the promise to do no harm to others except in self-defense are the only rules we need. Leave us our property and self-esteem, and we will flourish.
Gandhi taught a people to weave, and King taught a people to believe.
Can we weave a local community of believers in the individual?
John Darin Gerke is a Cooper County resident.
