Almost every time I turn on the news I hear about some new way in which my government representatives are eroding my civil liberties and pursuit of happiness. It is slow erosion much like the gopher problem we have in the back yard.
First we see a mound of dirt where none existed before. Sometimes there is an opening in the mound into which we drop a “bomb” and cover it up. Smugly we think the problem is solved. Two or three weeks go by with no problem, then one morning the dogs will be sniffing at another new mound of dirt in another part of the yard. They are usually the first to find new gopher activity, our early warning system if you will.
Sometimes we even see the rascal pop his furry little brown head out and laugh at us. So we bomb again, kick down the mound of dirt again, and smugly go about our way again. But this time we are not so sure the problem is solved. So once a month we have our “bug guy” dig up the yard and drop the really noxious gas bombs. This causes the gophers to retreat down the hill outside our yard for about a month until the air clears. Then they come back, destroying my backyard happiness. What we really need is a gopher snake to take care of the problem permanently. Or a ferret. Or a really vicious Jack Russell Terrier.
Our gopher problem reminds me of the American people naively going about their daily lives, complacent in the thought that the Constitution will protect them against government intrusion. But the slow erosion of our rights is happening right now. We wake up one day and see tell-tale mounds of tyranny popping up all over the place. Radio talk show hosts, like our dogs, are usually the first to see things coming down the pike.
When we hear of some outrageous legislation designed to hobble us in some way, we spring into action trying to get as much information as possible. We email our representatives, and come together in protest. But every time the people react, the government just sticks its furry little brown head back under ground until the dust settles and we calm down. Then it pops up again somewhere else with some new piece of outrageous legislation.
W hen our government fails to act in a reasonable manner, it falls to reasonable people to ACT. And we had better act before our rights are totally stripped and we find ourselves in a full-fledged dictatorship. Too bad we can’t find the equivalent of a gopher snake. Better yet, the equivalent of a really vicious Jack Russell Terrier. That would make the nightly news worth watching!
