Anti-government conservatives, the “stand up to fight the
system” people, are standing up to support the system when it comes to the
events of 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri.
One wants to ask the “government is the problem” folks: is it about the principle or about whose ox
is being gored?
The Washington Post article on how small
governments like Ferguson’s balance their budgets on the fines and fees they
derive from the poor was enlightening to me. Not entirely new information, but
the scale was surprising. It’s clear that these local governments exist on the
income they get from aggressive pursuit of relatively minor violations.
The issues presented by Ferguson aren’t simple.
Rioting isn’t justified. Period. Non-violent demonstrations
could have accomplished more than what occurred.
Nor is it right to ignore laws about things such as vehicle
insurance or working headlights. We can’t waive basic safety regulations
because people have a problem paying.
But what kind of government looks at its citizens in the
same way a tick looks at a deer?
There needs to be two-barreled change here. On the one hand,
local governments have to stop seeing citizens simply as a source of revenue
and start taking whatever responsibility they can for ensuring that people are
able to comply with laws.
What part of the concept of “commonwealth” don’t we
understand?
On the other side, the economically disadvantaged citizens
need to understand that, while government should be more responsive to and
supportive of their needs, government is never going to solve their problems.
They will have to do that themselves. They should get help, but ultimately it’s
up to them.
