“Bob, you’re not an anarchist.” Mark Nelson.
Mark was chair of the Whatcom County Republican Party, so of course, we were discussing politics. I immediately realized he was correct.
I’ve always considered myself on the side of maximum freedom. I’ve valued small government because I see government as taking away individual rights.
When there is anarchy, we lose freedom. After writing the article on murder rates in large cities, I was talking with Greg Evaritt. I told him about my findings, and he said that although the murder rates in cities might be high, it was in sections of the cities. I hadn’t thought about that. Actually, that makes it even worse. That means that if you live in the safe areas of the cities (probably the wealthiest), you don’t feel afraid. You can afford to defund the police. It is the poor areas that are hardest hit. I don’t see that as fair.
I’ll always remember my trip to downtown St. Louis in 1979. A black cab driver took me to the hotel. We had a nice conversation. When he dropped me off, he said, “Don’t go out at night.” We were looking at each other in the rear-view mirror. I said, “Okay.” Apparently, he could see that I wasn’t going to pay attention, by the look on my face. He turned around in his seat and emphatically stated, “I’ve been shot!” Then said, “Don’t you go out at night.”
That has never seemed right to me. Shouldn’t a person be able to walk through a major city at any time without worrying about being shot? It isn’t okay with me that crime is more prevalent in black or poor neighborhoods. Don’t those people want to be safe? Maybe I’m wrong. I just can’t imagine it. I believe they want to have the same freedom as the people in more prosperous neighborhoods.
Someone wrote a letter to the editor of The Bellingham Herald years ago. She said that we have criminals because we have laws. That seems to be true. Don’t we have laws because we didn’t like the behavior that was happening?
Enforcement of shoplifting laws was relaxed during Covid. I watched someone steal a bottle of liquor from a Walgreen.
Just a few months ago, my wife and I saw someone walk out of a Fred Meyer with a big box on his shoulder. A manager was following him and said, “We’ve got you on camera.” “Yeah. Whatever,” was the reply.
So now, we have stores with many items locked up. We have security officers in many stores. Walmart is leaving Portland, because of their profitability. I suspect pressure from online retailers; however, crime isn’t helping.
Who is being hurt? The locals who rely on the local retailers. It will be difficult to get a store to take the place of Walmart, if the crime rate is a problem.
So, while in favor of small government, I do believe in good government. We must have laws to protect people. If we don’t enforce the law, even normally law-abiding people break the law.
I met some family members for coffee. I paid the meter. Someone else did not because the law was not being enforced. That is a simple example. The city still needed the revenue.
Fact is we need to enforce the law to protect our freedom. If laws are not fair, then enforcing them will prove to be unjust and the law must be changed.
Ignoring the law leads to anarchy.