This Did Not Start With Mask Mandates, we have Seat Belt Laws and the Patriot Act To Thank

E073 - This Did Not Start With Mask Mandates, we have Seat Belt Laws and the Patriot Act To Thank

Right now the debate in America is about the government’s position in the health and safety of Americans by way of mask mandates.  This past Thanksgiving governors of democratic run states tried to shut down family get togethers and I am sure they’ll try even harder for Christmas.  Is that really the job of government, helping us make the right decision for our individual health and safety?  Is this a slippery slope that we should not venture further down?  Make no mistake, for over 40 years we’ve been on this slippery slope, the argument over masks have been made and lost time and time again.  It is time we take a serious look at our potential future under government rule.

For the happy part of today’s episode, let’s talk about the French

French children a very well behaved.  I actually experienced this first hand while stationed in Germany with the 3rd Armored Division Band.  I traveled to France numerous times while stationed there and got a chance to spend time with ordinary people.  Now I’ve always hated kids…even when I was a kid.  But I noticed the kids were well mannered and surprisingly pleasant.

I came across a story in Readers Digest that might explain why.  The article is titled “11 Surprising Reasons French Children Are So Well-Behaved“.  This is going to sound like totally out of left field considering today’s podcast topic, but trust me, this will make sense when I draw everything together at the end.  Here are the 11 reasons readers digest noted:

They’re allowed to do difficult things themselves
They are praised sparingly
They understand adults-only time
They are taught as infants to sleep early and well
Fruits and vegetables are their first foods
They are allowed to suffer sometimes
They know saying “hello” and polite manners are non-negotiable
Their moms maintain their personal style and independence
Treats are actually treats
Their parents say “no” and mean it
They don’t see the world as a dangerous, menacing place

Some of the above require further explanation…and I don’t have time to go through them all, I’ll just tackle one of them.  For the rest I suggest you visit rd.com and read the entire article.

I want to address the last one, because while so many of the others apply to today’s podcast topic, I think the last one speaks best.  Here is the text from the article:

Parenting is probably the most anxiety-provoking job on the planet. Not only are you entrusted with the physical and mental safety of a precariously fragile being, but you’re also responsible for their entire future. Or… maybe not. Maybe this hyper-anxious style of parenting is just making for exhausted parents and anxious kids.

“French parents are very concerned about their kids. They know about pedophiles, allergies, and choking hazards. They take reasonable precautions,” she writes. “But they aren’t panicked about their children’s well-being. This calmer outlook makes them better at both establishing boundaries and giving their kids some autonomy.”

To parallel French parenting, accept that you simply cannot protect your children from every bad thing. Do your best, and then let the rest go. It’s like the toddler version of The Serenity Prayer. In the meantime, try and remember that things weren’t perfectly safe when you were a kid either and you ended up OK. Remember metal slides You lived. And you learned… not to wear shorts on a hot day.

The very important note from this great article is, “They take reasonable precautions.”  You notice nowhere in the article does it reference a government mandate or law or restriction.

As a kid, my parents where pretty hands off.  My mom was born in 1911 and she went through the depression, two world wars, and all the ills life could throw at her.  She had only a 4th grade education and as a child she worked the chuck wagon for her dad in the cold winters of Butte Montana.  To call my mom a tough woman would have been a huge understatement.

My dad was younger than my mom, he was born in 1935 in Del Rio, Texas.  He was raised worked in the fields and to get away from the manual labor, he played football.  He loved football and was what you and I refer to as an intelligent tough guy.  My dad blew out his knee while in the army…he had been recruited to play football for the Army…he was a good ball player and was twice named all American and was actively recruited by Texas A&M.  But being a proud American, he got scouted by the Army and went to play for them.  His football career was cut short though with a horrible knee injury.  My dad moved on and went to work for the Post Office and retired as Post Master of the Watsonville, California Post Office.  He was a quiet man who was firm in his convictions.  He taught me self reliance and rugged independence.  He died too soon in my adulthood, I wish we could have had more time together because as a child my dad was not my best friend.  I know we would have become best friends later in life, but God had a different plan.

God called my parents early in my adult years and while they were sick in their last years, I was the one they counted on.  I knew what to do and had the cognitive reasoning to do it because they empowered me to be independent and encouraged me to develop my mental abilities.  

In a lot of ways my parents raised my like the Readers Digest article references.  Now that I think of it, I don’t believe either of my parents ever traveled to Europe.  While today’s American parents are referred to as helicopter parents, swooping in to help their child and provide for their every need, American parents from early America did things different.  I have those lessons in me…I don’t need the government…for anything.  I can protect myself and my family.  I can provide for myself and my family.  I can cook from scratch, hunt and kill what we need for survival.  I know how to build shelter and even in my current health situation, I have the ability to get by.  I’ve been self employed for 14 years and I’ve never borrowed a single dollar to advance my business.  My wife and I keep our bills low and spend lots of time together as best friends…I learned all of these things from my parents.  Public school had very little to do with making me who I am today.  Sure I learned important lessons in school, but I learned about life from my parents.

Rather than sadness that I didn’t get more time with my parents, I am filled with pride that they prepared me in such a manner that I was equipped to take on the world at a young age.  Thank you mom and dad!  Note, both of my parents were life long democrats…conservative democrats who voted for Regan.

Conservatism versus Progressivism - Very different views on we the people

Whether it’s the Second Amendment, immigration, or putting limits on abortion, if we the people don’t pass laws progressives approve, they turn to judges, executive orders, and government bureaucrats behind closed doors to overturn the will of voters.

Whatever one may think about the wisdom of hiking the minimum wage, banning plastic straws, or removing controversial historical monuments, conservatives believe voters closest to the issues should be the ones making such decisions for their communities—not lawmakers in Washington or a panel of judges fives states away.

To sum it up, conservatives believe in individual rights, not special rights. Conservatives believe in allowing Texas to be Texas and Vermont to be Vermont. And conservatives believe we the people can vote with our feet about where we want to live and what laws we want to live under.

In the sprit of mandating mask, let’s talk about some other potential mandates—after all it is about saving lives

Democrats, maybe many Republicans too, have learned that when done for public safety sake, the US Constitution is just a guideline.  We need not go back too far in history to find where the American government (Republicans and Democrats) have suspended our God given rights because it was for the safety of the American public.  The politicians know just how slippery a slope this is, but the American people seem to be oblivious.  In today’s episode we will explore the idea of government mandates and their potential impact on the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I’ve abandoned free market principles to save the free market system

President Bush said the following:

Well, I have obviously made a decision to make sure the economy doesn’t collapse. I’ve abandoned free market principles to save the free market system. I think when people review what’s taken place in the last six months, uh, and put it all in one, in one, (sigh), you know, in one package, they’re realize how significantly we have moved.

So, the idea that the American system of economic could be “abandoned” because the system itself was in jeopardy of collapse.  I have a minor in economics and I can say yes, the economic system of America was collapsing.  This episode is not about arm chair quarterbacking the President’s decision.  He did what he did and we accepted it.  But that was not the first time this Republican President abandoned freedom in favor of government control.

The Patriot Act

After 9/11, President Bush was faced with a broken US Intelligence System.  The CIA didn’t talk with the FBI and the NSA didn’t talk with anyone…so important details about people who sought commercial jet flying skills, but not commercial jet landing skills, was not passed up to the FBI, who could have investigated.  In the wake of the disaster, the Patriot Act was passed.  The Patriot Act was created to do the following:

expanded abilities of law enforcement to surveil, including by tapping domestic and international phones;
eased interagency communication to allow federal agencies to more effectively use all available resources in counterterrorism efforts; and
increased penalties for terrorism crimes and an expanded list of activities which would qualify someone to be charged with terrorism.

The second two concepts are obvious, it was the first one that snuck by every America…the part about “…including domestic…” as it pertained to surveillance is the really important part.  The creation of a secret court to evaluate these types of case was also an important issue.  Again, this episode is not about the merits of the Patriot Act, but the abandonment of liberties for the “safety” of America.

Let’s go aback a little ways and build on this idea a little…I am obviously going to come back to mask mandates and then we’ll take a look at the potential future.

Seat Belt Laws

On January 1, 1968 the first seat belt law went into effect.  It was a federal law that required all vehicles (except busses) be fitted with seat belts.  Note, the law at that time did not mandate anyone wear them, just that car manufactures had to install them.  The law was later change to include a three point seat belt, but the requirement to wear a seat belt was left to the individual states to decide.

On December 1, 1984 the first state level mandatory seat belt law went into effect.  Now, all but New Hapshire require all occupants to wear a seat belt.  There are variations to the law, but this episode is not about the merits of the law, but about the abandonment of freedoms for safety.

I remember in 1987 when California passed the seat belt law, the notion is wearing a seat belt felt wrong, but everyone told me it was for my safety.  Note, I have never been ticketed for not wearing a seat belt, so I obviously wear one…but not because there is a law, but because it just make sense.  If my car stops suddenly and I am not strapped in, then my body will continue to move until a surface hard enough to prevent further travel is met.  Generally not a healthy proposition.

This is an important note!

Mandatory mask laws

Just recently the Idaho Panhandle Health District created a five county mandate, enforceable by law, that all citizens wear a mask.  I must note Idaho is a very conservative state…that is the reason Kay and I moved here…we were very tired of liberal California and Oregon.  Heck, at the time when we moved, Idaho didn’t have a law restricting cell phone use while driving.  At of June of this year that has been changed…sigh…yet another topic I am going to cover in this episode.

What does seat belt laws, the patriot act, government abandonment of free market principals and even cell phone laws have to do with mask laws?  Short answer?  Everything!  Let’s take a side trip so you can see my point…

Did you know the mortality rate of people climbing mountains is 1.10.  Compare that to the mortality rate of COVID-19 at 0.2 and you can see where my confusion resides.  The article was done by Researchgate.net.

Did you know that as many as 400,000 people die every year from hospital errors, injuries, accidents, and infections?  Heck, one out of every 25 patients develops an infection while in the hospital—an infection that didn’t have to happen.

Did you know 1.35 million people die in road crashes each year and 20-50 million suffer non-fatal injuries, often resulting in long-term disabilities?

Since I want to make this episode famous…let’s grab the BIG one.  Did you know in 2018 there were 619,591 legal induced abortions in the United States?

OK, let’s get to some safety mandates…right, it is about safety.  We are talking about millions of lives here.

First thing that has to go is mountain climbing.  Fat, out of shape people must unite…besides making us look bad by being so fit, these mountain climbers are dying at an alarming rate.  We just can not have that.  Congress should not delay, they must act.

Since we’ve already passed seat belt laws—for safety—it is obvious American just don’t know how to drive.  We must outlaw cars, or at the very least mandate everyone hire a driver with professional credentials.  Ooo…I know, let’s get rid of cars and make people ride the bus.

Now I have the admit the hospital death rate is a pretty hard one to mandate our way around.  I mean those are the folks who train for a decade or so to keep us healthy.  If they are killing 1.35 million people a year, then we might have a problem.  BUT, it is for public safety, let’s mandate hospitals must arrest anyone who has an accident that results in the death of an individual and charge them for manslaughter.  Maybe some diversity training?  Oh, I don’t know.  I am just spitballin’ here, how about we fine hospitals and put that money back into a public education program to deter people from going to the dangerous hospitals.

OK, Abortion.  This one is easy.  I think the Idaho Panhandle Health District needs to write an immediate mandate requiring all couples use a condom unless they plan to get pregnant.  Sure, they can ask for federal grant money to provide free condoms to every man, woman, and child in America.

COVID-19 is a real thing.  This podcast host is not trying to make light of the pandemic.  It is real and people do die from the virus.  But the deaths are predictable…I have a heart condition and had trouble breathing on a normal basis…if I caught this thing I would probably succumb to the virus.  But I don’t need a government mandate telling me I have to wear a thing to keep me safe.  I am an American who will make my own decision and accept the consequences of my decision. 

What might the future look like

When did the government get in the business of preventing death?  Life is still kind of confusing after almost 53 years, but I have learned that death is certain.  None of us are getting out of this thing alive!  Suicide is a tragic loss, but outlawing suicide has never made any sense to me…how do you convict a dead person?  Callous of me?  Maybe, but go with me for a moment.  If government had the power to delay death if only by power of mandate, then for the potential benefit to society any particular individual might bring society it would be worth it…right?  No, but that is the argument progressives make.  Here is how it works.

The person who dies needlessly today might invent the cure for cancer tomorrow.  We need to save people from the bad decisions of a moment so that the collective intelligence might find the cure for societies ills.

I did not make up that statement…I once asked a California Congressman the question about seat belt laws and the logic behind creating them.  The above was his answer.  That congressman went on to become White House Chief of Staff for Bill Clinton, Director of the CIA under Obama and then ultimately Secretary of Defense under Obama…of course I am talking about Leon Panetta.  While in High School, my civics class took a field trip to Sacramento and I had the good fortune of having lunch with Mr Panetta, along with eight of my classmates.  I sat right next to Leon, so he couldn’t really ignore my question.

Let’s look at Mr Panetta’s answer and see where a progressive cabinet compiled by President Joe Biden might go with it.

Future mandates

Right now some of you might be screaming…don’t give them any ideas!  These ideas are not new, I am not breaking any ground here…just making public the ideas they already have in the hopper.

Since we are saving lives.  

A mandate to remove guns from society is an obvious first step.  Leaders from the past have done this…you know, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Chavez…they all took guns away from their citizens.

A mandate to eliminate fossil fuels is obvious.  Carbon emissions kill trees which decrease oxygen which leads to the death of people like me who already struggle to breath.  I don’t think they could just come right out an outlaw cars, they would probably start by requiring manufactures build cars that get a certain gas milage and then ratchet things up so old cars have to be recycled and replaced by a certain date, and then require everyone walk, ride a bike, or take an electric bus…just think about the exercise opportunities…

Speaking of exercise, that would be an obvious mandate.  How about this, before the work day starts, the government should mandate people do 30 minutes of calisthenics.  You know, get the heart pumping and the brain engaged.  With more engaged brains I am sure the cure for cancer is just around the corner.

To prevent people from getting fat in the first place, restaurants should not be allowed to sell food cooked in trans-fatty oils.  They also shouldn’t be allowed to serve large surgery soft drinks.

Next let’s change school lunches so kids eat healthier foods.  Instead of pizza day, we should do steamed eggplant days.

You know people in places like Seattle, San Francisco, and New York can not afford a place to live…we should require business to pay people more money.  After all, living on the streets is dangerous.

You see, these types of decisions can be made from Washington DC, they know best and are far from the emotions of the day to day life that would otherwise detract leaders from doing what is best for society.  After all, the cure for cancer is right there…in the mind of someone…just waiting to be let out.  Oh and for Gods sake, my body my choice when it comes to abortion!

Conclusion

This podcast is very long, but very important…I couldn’t cut it down to my usually 20 minutes.  If there was any topic I feel we conservatives must cover, it is the one about individual determination.  The difference is seen in people who seek to move to the big city.

Big city type people don’t have the free space to roam, they vacation at that spots.  As a result, they don’t have self reliance as a core competency.  Ducks and deer don’t roam about their neighborhood.  Besides the squirrel and pigeon, the city dweller couldn’t feed themselves off the land around them.  It is all asphalt and concrete.  This type of person only knows government aid when in a tight spot.  Independence is being conditioned out of them.

My parents, and your ancestors, moved west to tame the wild country and make a space they can call their own.  Kids today don’t seek the independence of open space, they desire the hustle and bustle of the city life.  I have friends who have businesses designed to capitalize on this notion where high density city dwelling is the norm.  Self contained apartments complexes with all the life amenities that people coddled since birth crave.

It is no surprise those who crave coddling also crave government edicts.  They are not comfortable depriving themselves of all that life has to offer because they might have a susceptibility to a virus.  They would rather big brother slap down rules and laws to force those they choose to shelter in close proximity to mask up and take precautions.

America is losing the independence that 400 years ago drove the Pilgrams to the new promise land.  We are allowing those we pay for subscriptions to brow beat up into submission.  Yes, the media is supported by your dollar.  They do not receive government hand outs, they receive advertising and subscription dollars.  You and I are paying for the celebration of the government abuse.  Where would mask mandates be today if the media didn’t agree?  

To the people who desire participation trophies, mask mandates are as natural as the formica counter top where they made their store bought peanut butter and jelly sandwich on white bread.