Apathy is a bridge to tyranny. At least that is what some of us understand. There are countless examples in human history where the governed slowly yielded their rights for the perception of safety or benefit, only to cross that line and end up dominated by a supposedly compassionate or caring “government.”
In America today, this same pattern is emerging and accelerating as we allow more and more of our hard fought freedoms to be removed to remedy perceived faults. Each “leader” we elect focuses on their pet peeve cause and apply a remedy that extracts further concessions. Results do not matter to these people. It’s the emotional satisfaction of having done “something” to fix the societal ill. Words and phrases like social justice, inequality, even the playing field and equal opportunity permeate the political landscape as they sell their wares and are eagerly supported by an equally apathetic press who simply pursue their own agenda — absent their fundamental purpose or responsibility. As the momentum progresses, even the most senior leaders then over-reach their authority and begin flaunting the very laws they take an oath to enforce and protect. That is where we are now. No longer is it a big deal to express the desire to “circumvent” Congress because of inaction. In fact, its cheered on by those who simply don’t understand the consequences of their actions and will be having fits of rage when the same thing happens in the future but a different party is the one doing the flaunting. Hypocrisy is revealed but that is not what’s at stake. The Constitution which has served as a beacon of hope for millions is left in tatters while we tweet about our pet’s latest trick while waiting at a traffic light.
Don Thompson
Lake Stevens
