Nanny Government
Lassee's Notes
“Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters." - Daniel Webster
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.” - C.S. Lewis
Have you bought your booster seat yet?
If you have kids under 8 years old, you’ll want to. Because the state just passed a new law (over my objections) – now every child under 8 years old has to be in a booster seat while riding in a car.
Governor Doyle may not have used the line “if it only saves a single child…” but the phrase has been on everyone’s lips, nonetheless.
Really, it’s not saving lives that got the bill passed, it’s federal transportation money. Because we passed the bill, we get another $2.5 million which we wouldn’t have gotten, otherwise.
That’s worth it, right? A little less personal responsibility, a little further reach for Big Brother government’s fingers, for $2.5 million?
Wonder what else we’d do for $2.5 million?
Wisconsin law doesn’t require motorcyclists to wear helmets. Perhaps that’s next – the feds will dangle more transportation money in front of us, if only we pass that requirement.
Of course, wearing a helmet won’t help a motorcyclist who hits a car broadside at 40 mph. Maybe it would be better if motorcycles weren’t allowed on our roads at all. Put everybody in a car, where they can wear seatbelts and be protected by air bags. Hey, if it only saves one life.
Better put helmets on them, too, just to be safe.
It seems innocent enough – just an attempt to keep kids a little safer, and to bring in a little more federal money at the same time.
And, yes, it means the Nanny Government taking just a little more control over our lives. Why not? It’s what’s best for us. We all know it.
Given that motive, is it ridiculous to place video cameras into every home? Imagine the child abuse we could prevent, just to name one outcome. Imagine how much better we could make the lives of the children and the women who would, otherwise, be abused.
Not abusing your children? No worries, then. We’ll only use the footage to prosecute a crime. We won’t even look at it, unless a crime’s been alleged.
Just like Social Security numbers were not going to become national I.D. numbers.
Of course, that’s taking things much too far. Government never takes things too far: government only moves a little bit at a time. An inch here, an inch there…
As long as we’re acting with good intentions, with the good of the people in mind.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lasee’s Notes is a weekly column by Representative Frank Lasee, 2nd Assembly District, covering events in the Legislature and statewide.
“Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters." - Daniel Webster
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.” - C.S. Lewis
Have you bought your booster seat yet?
If you have kids under 8 years old, you’ll want to. Because the state just passed a new law (over my objections) – now every child under 8 years old has to be in a booster seat while riding in a car.
Governor Doyle may not have used the line “if it only saves a single child…” but the phrase has been on everyone’s lips, nonetheless.
Really, it’s not saving lives that got the bill passed, it’s federal transportation money. Because we passed the bill, we get another $2.5 million which we wouldn’t have gotten, otherwise.
That’s worth it, right? A little less personal responsibility, a little further reach for Big Brother government’s fingers, for $2.5 million?
Wonder what else we’d do for $2.5 million?
Wisconsin law doesn’t require motorcyclists to wear helmets. Perhaps that’s next – the feds will dangle more transportation money in front of us, if only we pass that requirement.
Of course, wearing a helmet won’t help a motorcyclist who hits a car broadside at 40 mph. Maybe it would be better if motorcycles weren’t allowed on our roads at all. Put everybody in a car, where they can wear seatbelts and be protected by air bags. Hey, if it only saves one life.
Better put helmets on them, too, just to be safe.
It seems innocent enough – just an attempt to keep kids a little safer, and to bring in a little more federal money at the same time.
And, yes, it means the Nanny Government taking just a little more control over our lives. Why not? It’s what’s best for us. We all know it.
Given that motive, is it ridiculous to place video cameras into every home? Imagine the child abuse we could prevent, just to name one outcome. Imagine how much better we could make the lives of the children and the women who would, otherwise, be abused.
Not abusing your children? No worries, then. We’ll only use the footage to prosecute a crime. We won’t even look at it, unless a crime’s been alleged.
Just like Social Security numbers were not going to become national I.D. numbers.
Of course, that’s taking things much too far. Government never takes things too far: government only moves a little bit at a time. An inch here, an inch there…
As long as we’re acting with good intentions, with the good of the people in mind.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lasee’s Notes is a weekly column by Representative Frank Lasee, 2nd Assembly District, covering events in the Legislature and statewide.
posted by John Q Cheesehead | 12:15 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home