Government Restraint

Iran does not allow the open practice of homosexuality. Neither does any other Islamic society I know of. No religious society has, in the past, condoned this. But let's not forget about Iran. This country is being villified for that stance, among others.

We forget that there is government restraint in the U.S. of A. also. I don't have to mention the recent tasering incidents. What about the bill passed by Congress today? In spite of overwhelming problems, both domestic and foreign, Congress took the time to formally censure MoveOn for their ad attacking the policies of General Petraeus. What will happen if Congress allows newspaper ads to run amok? Imagine the chaos.

The report on homosexuality in Iran noted that conversations there are tapped by the government. So are conversations here. Yesterday I read about the ability of the FBI to listen in through a cell phone even if it has been turned off. That sounds very familiar to me. Where did I read about something like that? Was it 1984?

The best government, I believe, is the government which restrains little. Moral lines must be drawn, of course, though these days it's hard to know where to draw them. Freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, and freedom to petition the government--these are the freedoms which are innate and inviolable.

I have really heard enough of the pot calling the kettle black. Maybe it's time to step back and rethink the rhetoric.