Many of the various laws passed and proposed during the last year have prompted me to inquire as to why such laws are being put forth in the first place. Most of the laws I’m referring to are ones that in some way restrict individual rights and freedom – the most valuable of our American privileges.
Moral crusaders seem to be taking this country into a strangle-hold, and no matter how much we peons squirm, we just can’t seem to wiggle out of their grasps.
South Dakota recently passed a law that bans virtually all abortions, and Alabama and Mississippi are following suit. We have our own dealings with the CCCC, which last month successfully lobbied for a ban on drink specials after 10 p.m. – legislation targeted mostly at students.
These are just the tip of the iceberg.
The South Carolina Senate recently passed a new bill that would make convicted serial rapists eligible for the death penalty if two or more of their victims are younger than 11. Not surprisingly, Louisiana is attempting to push through a similar law targeting rapists whose victims are younger than 12. On we go.
Texas is arresting people for being drunk in bars. There’s illegal wiretapping going on in Washington, D.C.
Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin student newspapers pretty much lost their First Amendment rights after the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling in Hosty v. Carter. Want me to keep going?
President Bush wants Congress to pass a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman. A high school in Arizona banned students from displaying flags, including the stars and bars. Colorado Gov. Bill Owens said he will sign a statewide bill to ban smoking virtually everywhere. The list goes on and on.
So what is the reason for this seemingly all-of-a-sudden boom in restrictive legislation? The first theory I propose is one of my own.
The conservative frame of mind portrayed by the Bush administration, which includes an archaic adherence to Judeo-Christian moral principles, is spreading down to local and state governments that see this as a chance to pass laws under the auspices of morality while secretly gaining power and money.
It works on the same principle of the Bush administration’s foreign policy: We are fighting wars to spread democracy to another part of the world. Which is, in the most basic terms, telling the world and the nations we are bombing, “Your way of life is wrong; ours is right, so please allow us to force you to adhere to the American way of thinking … trust us, it’s in your best interest.”
Imagine the arrogance it takes to tell an entire nation of people that the government and way of life they have been practicing for decades is wrong and even “evil.” No wonder so many people hate Americans.
This same display of arrogance exists on our own soil. One vox populi of religious fanatics is in their attempt to “save” people – meaning the person’s existing beliefs won’t grant them eternal salvation – and they tell them this is in their best interest. Hmm, sound familiar?
This same mentality even fuels the CCCC’s policy. It goes like this: “We’re right, you’re wrong; we’re wise, you’re young; we see the light, you’re blind … trust us, it’s in your best interest.”
All of this is in the face of people – Iraqis in one case and students in the other – that may not even want to be saved.
But what do I know? I’m just a simple student. Matters such as this should be tackled by a wiser, more studied individual – that’s right, a comedian.
Comedian George Carlin provides his own explanation for the freedom-restricting agenda being pushed across the nation.
Baby boomer is the common name given to an American born between 1946 and 1964 – basically all of our parents. They make up the lion’s share of the political, cultural, industrial and academic leadership class in the United States, according to Wikipedia.org.
Of these boomers Carlin says, “These people were given everything. Everything was handed to them. And they took it all; sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. And they stayed loaded for 20 years and had a free ride. But now they’re staring down the barrel of middle-age burnout, and they don’t like it. So they turn self-righteous, and they want to make things hard on younger people. They tell them to abstain from sex and ‘say no to drugs.’ These people went from ‘do your own thing’ to ‘just say no.’ They went from ‘love is all you need’ to ‘whoever winds up with the most toys wins.’ And they went from cocaine to Rogaine.”
This observation by Carlin is a stunningly accurate portrayal of the mindset of our lawmakers, corporate executives, teachers and parents. I think I like his theory more than mine.
I’m sure many of you don’t agree with me on this, but you’re just going to have to trust me. I’m right; you’re wrong. Believe me, it’s in your best interest.
 
Dennis is a theatre senior. Contact
him at [email protected]