Government intervention. Little by little, an ordinance here, one there and before you know it the government is controlling our lives.
It was never intended to be this way. I’m sure our forefathers would be appalled at where we are today with the government. They are involved in every area of our life one way or another. Whether it’s the medicines we take or the physicians we see, the food we eat, our schools and our homes if we want to add a room on to our home. The government tells us the mix of fuel we put in the cars, the type of light bulbs to use and now it is becoming popular for local governments to tell citizens how many pets they can have in their home.
We call ourselves living in the land of the free, but in reality we are becoming slaves to the government. It is supposed to be government for and by the people but as we can see daily in Washington, that is not the reality of what is happening.
To have a fully functioning society, there must be some government and we have to have some rules. I think we all can agree about that fact, but our government of today, has become so excessive that it limits individual freedoms, stifles entrepreneurial creativity, keeps hard working Americans from enjoying upward mobility and has incentives to lock the poor and lazy into a dependency on government that can last a lifetime and keeps them in poverty.
Policies passed by the government, stifle domestic energy production and affects our health services. Some policies are virtually taking from the rich to give to the poor, whether they made it honestly or not. Where traditionally the states could decide on education, transportation, health care, welfare and law enforcement, the federal government now dominates those areas and issues federal mandates which states must find a way to pay or be fined. Many times that means increased property taxes.
The government should not be telling us how to live our lives. We pay taxes to support services like transit, water, electricity, trash pickup, etc. Yes, government should ensure basic rights, such as the ones given in the Constitution – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. When government takes more power than given by the Constitution, our life choices become meaningless. Government cannot legislate morality.
We do need  laws but not to the point where you can’t decide for yourself whether you can afford or need more than one pet. Byron City Council is about to pass an ordinance limiting the number of dogs and cats residents can have per lot. I understand why with so many irresponsible pet owners these days, but such an ordinance will not change the person. Only God can do that.
Many people adopt animals in pairs and as long as they are being responsible owners, why should the city tell them, they can’t have five or six if they so choose. Most people are not going to adopt more than they can handle or afford
Regulations should be passed to limit government, not its citizens. As we become a nation with no self-responsibility from citizens, the government intrusion goes a little deeper.
Unlimited government becomes tyrannical which crushes the independent spirit of the people. The federal government was never meant to be the most important institution in America. But the powers that be in Washington, DC believe they are.
Our forefathers created a government that couldn’t be dominated by a single faction and had checks and balances intended to curb the ambition of the powerful. The Constitution ensured government would promote the”general welfare” of its people.
What has happened in America is why the silent majority spoke up and elected a President whose motto was “Make America Great Again”. That’s what we want which includes less government intrusion into our lives. While the government must provide for defense, regulate relations with foreign entities, maintain safety and maintain order, it should respect its citizens right to enjoy the fruits of hard work without being overly taxed. Double taxation was something our forefathers forbade, however, it is a fact today. We are double taxed and over taxed and the government wants more and more money from its citizenry.
If government continues to grow and expand its reach into the private lives of citizens, we could find ourselves in an Orwellian society. That would mean every move would be monitored by someone in the government to make sure we stayed in line with what the government wants from us. Don’t think it could happen? Think again about what has already happened and what is happening daily and you’ll understand that it could very well become a reality.
Each of us as citizens and human beings, hold personal responsibility for our well being. When we rely on the government to take care of us and provide for us, not only do we become slaves to the hand that feeds us, we lose freedom and the right to decide for ourselves what’s best for us.
As family values and what we learned in church fall to the wayside, virtue goes out the window. Without virtue, government cannot be both limited and free.
Each of us needs to make our voice heard when government intrudes more into our lives. If you don’t want the number of animals you own limited, then let your voice be heard at a council meeting and get like-minded citizens to do the same. We can stop the onslaught of government intrusion, but it will take working at it and being compassionate about stopping the intrusion.©2017

VICTORIA SIMMONS is an author, columnist, motivational speaker, minister and publisher of The Georgia Post/Byron Buzz. Contact her at: vsimmons54@gmail.com