Non-Working Automobile Headlight Shines Light On Government Intrusiveness

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A state trooper recently ticketed me for a nonworking driver's side headlight. He ignored the sport-utility-vehicle exceeding the speed limit, made a u-turn and pulled me over. Then the trooper was kind enough to provide the paperwork that I would need to get the ticket dismissed. This kind of routine traffic stop happens every day and is a prime example of how we are conditioned to accept the intolerable intrusiveness of government and its agents the police.

No auto owner wants a vehicle's headlights to fail. A properly working vehicle helps keep us and other drivers safe. Had I caused an accident and harmed someone else or damaged someone's personal property by driving my car with only one headlight then I would have to pay the consequences but the amount of time, money, and energy required to force me to repair my car is a waste. It is in my own best interest to have my car's headlight repaired.

I drove to an auto repair shop, which fixed my light. Then I drove to the state police barracks to have a trooper complete the necessary paperwork. The time, money, and energy spent created more opportunities for traffic accidents, reduced my personal productivity as well as the productivity of the police and wasted time, money, and resources that could be better spent.

While the state trooper was busy completing the paperwork to dismiss my ticket, somewhere someone was being robbed, maimed, raped, or killed. While the trooper was testing my low beams and high beams, crimes could have been prevented if that trooper was on patrol.

Statists argue the state aims to protect people. The state's goal should be to protect individual freedom but the power hungry have twisted its mission to limit individual freedom in favor of "protecting" the masses.

I hope Dr. Ron Paul's Revolution inspires more potential statesmen and stateswomen to run for office on libertarian ideals with an eye on dismantling unconstitutional government agencies and agendas.

While my recent run in with the law occurred at night, it shined light on government intrusiveness and lack of concern for individual freedom and personal property rights. As Henry Ward Beecher once said “The worst thing in this world, next to anarchy, is government.”

January 8, 2008