VICTIMLESS CRIME
By
Coach Dave Daubenmire
August 13, 2009
NewsWithViews.com
Is it just me or does it seem as if you need big brother’s permission to do anything anymore? How did we ever get in this position?
As I have spent more and more time re-educating myself it is becoming rapidly more apparent that I do not fit any political mold. I used to self-identify as a conservative- Republican until I came to the understanding that conservativism is “Counterfeit Salt,” that there isn’t a nickel’s bit of difference between the true agenda of the leadership of both political parties; that Republicans and Democrats are merely two legs on the same bug; and that I was letting someone else form my political identify for me.
I certainly am not a “conservative,” if that means maintaining things the way that they are, as I am a liberal on many different issues. For instance I am very liberal in my views on the right of a baby to live (I think we should pull out all of the power of government to secure the right to life for little baby boys and girls), I am liberal in the right of parents to pick where, how, and by whom their child will be educated, and my liberal views cause me to err on the size of government protecting the right of Christians to practice their faith in public schools with the same freedom of the secularists and atheists. I believe in true tolerance and diversity….strictly liberal policies.
But in some ways I am a conservative. I think less government is the best government; that courts ought to stay out of the law-making business, and that we all need to cling a little harder than ever to our “guns and our God.” I think that the term “conservative” is by its very definition a losing hand. Holding ground….maintaining the status quo… doesn’t leave much room for advancing one’s cause. A conservative’s best hope is for a tie game, running the clock out, in an attempt to keep the other team from scoring.
I definitely ain’t one of those.
The more I chew my educational cud the more I find myself taking on the flavor of a new kind of hybrid. If we are into labeling the juice of our beliefs I think I would come out as a Christian libertarian. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty.”
From what I can gather a libertarian is labeled as such because he believes in personal liberty and the right of the individual to live one’s life without governmental interference. I tend to side with them (Ron Paul) but at the same time I can’t go in with both feet because most libertarians fail to acknowledge the sovereignty of God. For instance, true libertarians would say that abortion is a “states rights” issue but my Christian faith would argue that not even the “states” have the right to legalize the killing of unborn children. Medical services, health issues, speed limits, yes…murder, never. In the heart of most libertarians the Constitution is the Supreme law of the land. I would agree, except in the areas where God has already legislated and it is at that point that the Constitution plays second fiddle to the “Majesty of Heaven which I revere above all earthly kings.”
My faith teaches me to obey authority. It is the ultimate test of Lordship. But when the tussle over authority squares off with God and His laws in one corner and Caesar and his “authority” in the other, it is to my Savior that my obedience is pledged. This is “One Nation Under God,” not multiple religions under Caesar. The One True God brings liberty through obedience, while His counterpart demands obedience in place of liberty. God allows government to govern, but He is the one who rules in the affairs of men.
Law was God’s idea. He established law’s to ensure individual freedom and no one is above God’s laws. God’s law is for protection. Caesar’s law is for control. The more we stray from God and His laws the more we sacrifice liberty. As a wise man once said we will be governed by the Bible or the bayonet…
Caesar is out of control. At some point we are going to have to make the decision just how much liberty we are willing to relinquish. Because the “Spirit of the Lord” is no longer pre-eminent in our legal system tyranny is at our door. “Where the Spirit of the Lord” has been removed there is “NO FREEDOM” (At least that is where the laws of logic lead my mind.) Nature abhors a vacuum. The liberty secured by the laws of God has been replaced by the enslavement of the edicts of Caesar. Americans are no longer free…we just think we are. Caesar’s laws bind us down in the name of safety and protection.
In order for true justice to exist several things must be in place. A “crime” demands a victim, and injury. Justice requires punishment and restitution. Caesar’s justice system, focused on control, has replaced God’s criminal justice system designed to secure individual liberty.
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I was reminded of that as I drove from Georgia to my home in Ohio this past weekend. The incessant ringing of the seat belt buzzer alerted me to “click-it or ticket.” (“The government is in our car” I reminded my wife as I reached for the belt.) Failure to “obey” would subject me to a fine for violating the “law.” “It is for your own safety,” Michele said. (Boy isn’t government benevolent. Frankly, I’d rather be free than safe)
Do we really need government to “fine” us for failing to be safe? How can not buckling possibly be a crime? Who is the “victim” of my unsafe behavior? Will my $100 fine go to me for having put my own safety at risk? (We will soon be able to sue ourselves for what we have done to ourselves.)
It is my “debt to society” they will tell me. How can “society” be a victim, and is the “debt” equally divided amongst all of the people in the community (Society) to whom it is owed? It seems to me that it is merely another way for Caesar to “pick my pocket” in an attempt to control my behavior. (If risky behavior is now a crime sixty million Americans should be fined for electing Obama.). We are such mindless sheep.
Let
me spell it out the way I see it. An out-of control government is hell-bent
on controlling you. We better wake up and wake up soon. Victimless crime
is destroying America. Our jails are bulging with “criminals”
whose only victims are them selves. Crime is big business in America.
Freedom is not nearly as profitable to
Caesar.
In the county in which I live one small city decided that it would be a good idea to put “red light cameras” at the intersections for “safety” purposes, even though statistics show that the number of accidents caused by red-light-runners was almost too small to measure. As an extra “safety” measure these cameras just happened to catch speeders as well, even though statistics proved that “speed” was rarely the cause of accidents in the community. (Running a red light is not a “crime.” Smashing another car after running one, is.)
Well low and behold 12,858 violations were captured by the cameras last month. (That’s right…ONE MONTH.) At $100 per violation the City of Heath is well on the way to solving their revenue problems, as they keep people safe, of course. Just call it the “speed tax.” Coming soon to a city near you.
How can speeding or red-light-running be a “crime?” Who is the victim and what damage was inflicted upon him/her? I understand the need for an orderly society but where do we draw the line? At what point do we push back against Caesar?
Our justice system thrives on victimless crime. It is the mother’s milk of the millions drinking from the teat of “crime”, real or man-made. We need to re-establish a system that focuses more on restitution as a form of punishment rather than fines and incarceration. Look at these stats on incarceration.
To whom will the $1.4 million generated by the “red-light cameras” be paid? Why, to the poor victimized government. It incentivizes more nebulous laws, with more “fines” to punish the perpetrators. (The same town has a public smoking ban…with fines, of course for public puffers.)
God’s justice system requires restitution to the victim. Society cannot be a victim. Recently the former CEO of AIG was “fined” $15 million for shady dealings in AIG’s collapse. Do you suppose any of the “fine” went to those who actually lost money because of his lack of “oversight” or will all of the money go to the legal system? The money will be used to capture more crooks, who will be forced to pay more “debts to society.” Meanwhile, the real victims are supposed to feel good because the “government” put the criminals “behind bars” where taxpayers will pay billions to punish them.
It seems to me that if someone is victimized the “punishment” should be repayment, plus the fine, to the violated by the violator.
So what “crime” lays down the road…light bulbs, big cars, hate-thought…?
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“Do you think that we want those laws to be observed? We want them broken. There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.” - Ayn Rand.
No Lord, no liberty.
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� 2009 Dave Daubenmire - All Rights Reserved
Coach Dave Daubenmire, founder and President of Pass The Salt Ministries www.ptsalt.com and Minutemen United www.minutemenunited.org, is host of the high octane Pass The Salt radio show heard in Columbus, Ohio.
In 1999 Coach Daubenmire was sued by the ACLU for praying with his teams while coaching high school in Ohio. He now spends his energy fighting for Christian principles in the public domain.
E-Mail: coach@ptsalt.com
