What Will Be Next to Go?

     Barely a day passes that the Internet doesn't report that
government nannies have relieved us of the need, and
opportunity, to make some choice.  The latest addition to the list
isn't quite of the magnitude of eliminating the right to choose the
medical insurance we prefer.  Still, it is one more step down the
road to total domination by government.

     Strip away the smoke and mirrors and you will find
government has only one function.  Government limits our
choices.  Government has only one way of limiting our choices. 
It says "Do it my way, or I will hurt you."  Sure, government
can offer bribes.  To get the wealth to offer the bribes,
government threatens to hurt someone.

     So far as I know Vancouver, British Columbia broke new
ground when it banned doorknobs.  At least it is reported to be
the first city in Canada to do so.   Chances are that if I dug deep
enough I'd find that some place beat Vancouver to the punch. 
On the other hand, someone had to be first.

     Why ban doorknobs?  Vancouver claims that some
people have trouble turning doorknobs.  On that Vancouver is
probably right.  When my hands are covered with oil, or some
other slippery substance, I find it difficult to turn the small brass
knob on my back door.

     It is my doorknob.  If I want to I can replace the knob
with a bigger or rougher one.  Also, I could replace it with a
lever.  So far I have dealt with the problem by carrying a paper
towel in my pocket when I expect to get oil on my hands.  If
Vancouver has its way the only choice I would have left would
be to get rid of the doorknob.

     I must admit Vancouver is more imaginative than I am. 
It never crossed my mind that the solution to my doorknob
problem was to threaten to hurt anyone who chose doorknobs.  I
do suspect that banning doorknobs would take a lot more effort
than does grabbing a paper towel.

     So far Vancouver has only banned knobs in new
construction.  That is how it starts.  Next, ban knobs in all rental
housing.  Then require that in any remodeling all knobs be
removed.  In the end the only remaining knobs will be in
museums and, of course, in government buildings which will
likely be exempt from the ban.

     Loss of choices has been sweeping through the nation,
and most of the world, since long before my time.  Whenever
anyone says "There ought to be a law" they are advocating
hurting people for making "wrong" choices.  Obama care
threatens to hurt anyone who doesn't buy the kind of medical
insurance prescribed by a band of politicians and bureaucrats.

     Every law threatens, directly or indirectly, to hurt people
for making forbidden choices.  There are people who believe
that we shouldn't threaten peaceful individuals to stop them from
making any particular choice.  Threats of force should only be
used to discourage individuals from choosing to commit acts of
aggression.

     These people who oppose threatening peaceful people are
called libertarians.  Many people believe libertarians simply want
to be left alone.  If this is true, almost everyone is a libertarian. 
How many people do you know who want to be coerced into
giving up a choice they want to make?

     Being a libertarian takes far more than merely wanting to
be left alone.  Libertarians are defined by their willingness to
leave other people alone, and free to choose for themselves. 
Libertarians do demand that those choices be peaceful.

     A libertarian tolerates the peaceful choices of others, even
if the libertarian strongly disapproves of the choices. 
Libertarians do reserve the right to voice disapproval of peaceful
choices.  Also, libertarians feel free to refuse to associate with
others because of the choices they make.  Libertarians won't ban
the use of doorknobs, except for using the knobs in acts of
aggression.

aldmccallum@gmail.com

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Copyright 2013
Albert D. McCallum