Dear Friend,
It seems to me that the more removed a person is from the means that keeps him or her alive the more the individual is willing to cede rights to the government.
People like hamburger. We cook it in everything, Shepard’s pie, tacos, and even hamburgers. We love this versatile inexpensive meat. We don’t often however think about were it comes from or how it’s made. To our ‘citified’ sensibilities the thought of killing and grinding up an animal is revolting. That is, what is required, in order for us to eat hamburger.
A person who grew up on a farm or in close proximity to farm life isn’t as squeamish. When you ’get your hands dirty’ in the process of providing food for the masses you learn exactly what it takes to keep humanity alive. It may be distasteful but it must be done.
Having to face the reality of mortal existence makes people stronger and more importantly wiser. Not necessarily smarter. That wisdom is often seen by the ’smart’ people in the cities as rustic, thinking. Quaint notions from the past. ‘Smart’ people are more willing to place their trust in the machinery of civilization. Wise people have fixed too much farm equipment to trust a machine explicitly.
Living among a throng of people also makes us more willing to have our actions restrained in order that the disturbing actions of others are also restrained. In the city it is simply not permissible to walk outside at 7:00 AM, load your 30-06, lean against the corner of the house and sight in your rifle. In the city we have to respectful of the rights of others. People who live in the city have a greater willingness to give up liberty, to protect themselves, that is the point of the ‘social contract‘.
As a result, much political innovation comes from the city. With the constant need to interact in ways that are productive, or at least not counterproductive, and with the fall of civility in society in general and in the city in particular, the Elite must use more and more force and coercion to keep people at peace with one another. Cameras on every street corner and behind every cashier but we recoil at the thought of putting a camera in the office of our congressman.
In the rural areas people still use courtesy as the best means of interpersonal discourse. It’s common to hear “please” and “thank you” in everyday conversation. Holding the door for the next person when walking into a store is also commonplace in the rural areas.
Our sitcoms are nothing but people insulting each other. We watch gleefully as people we see every week tear each other down. Vitriolic attacks are commonplace in our comedy. The boorish is elevated to the sublime and we all suffer for it. Coarsening the way we interact with each other.
So, perhaps, we should take a long hard look at how we interact. Instead of calling the cops when our neighbor plays his music too loud, late at night, a call and an ear would be more efficacious. If we are the person called remember the golden rule. We would all be better served for the human interaction. More importantly We would be better protecting our rights and liberty…
Sometime, try holding the door for a little old lady… Gives you a strange feeling.
