Op Ed 605

Passing the Buck on Responsibility

“Lawyers are a useful tool. When you feel like you are in a bind, talking to the right lawyer can be such a breath of fresh air. It can be a conversation from which you walk away saying “Phew! I have options I didn’t even realize I had.” Life feels better with options. Life can be easier with experts on your side who want to help. I get that. That is brilliant.”

“I am going to tell you something that truly bothers me, though, about that search. It is when people look to lawyers as the solution. It is when people view lawyers as a way of outsourcing part of life’s journey. There are some things you just cannot outsource in life.”

Allan Stevo

Isn’t that what America is all about, though? If you have something that you want to get settled, then the best thing to do is hire a lawyer, initiate a lawsuit, and hope that a judge will rule in your favor? Right? Of course, right! Which is exactly why we are losing the battle in the war against personal liberty and freedom. We have abdicated our responsibility to stand up for ourselves and are using “hired guns” to make things right, all without understanding that these “trigger-happy law-slingers” are probably only interested in their own agendas and billing cycles, which consist of 15-minute segments of billable time, rounded up, of course.

Consider the recent case of parents of schoolchildren who went to court against the Missoula County School Board to force the unmasking of their kids…and lost. According to the presiding judge, the parents simply did not present a compelling argument that forcing face masks on kids in school was detrimental to their health, well-being, and education. School board: 1. Parents: 0. Again. Why do they keep going back? When will they learn? Will they ever learn? Attempting to reform the system from within the system is an exercise in frustration, failure, and defeat. It simply cannot be done.

There is a solution to the problem, however, and it can be summed up in one short word—“No!”—and its corollary, which is like unto it—“I will not!”

The time must come for all freedom-loving people to recognize that personal liberty is not granted by governments–whether ruthless dictators, democratically elected “leaders”, or corrupt judges. Liberty cannot be given except by God Almighty and He only gives you the opportunity to be free, expecting that you will take what is offered and make something out of it. “Carpe diem! Seize the day!” There is no time like the present to sacrifice your cushy, comfortable life for the sake of your children.

Just say “No!” Just do it. Will that happen? From my personal experience, not likely until the situation really begins to bite hard. Most people live in that vast bubble of humanity hoping against hope that they will not be fired upon AND do absolutely nothing to draw attention to themselves, preferring instead to focus on the bottom line of their own convenience.

For those who need to be convinced, keep in mind that Jesus Christ lauded the servants who had taken what they were given and did something with it. In opposition to that, he condemned the one who did nothing because of the possibility that he might lose what he had, which happened anyway despite his feeble attempts to safeguard the “assets”. If what you have can be taken away from you, then it is not really yours. It, including your children, are all on loan and you will, sooner or later, be held accountable for what you do with it. Considering the legacy and the future which we have created for our children, they may very well rise up and curse us. “Hey, ho, hey ho, Social Security has got to go.”

After my death (which I am looking forward to with anticipation), the first words I want to hear from the Master are “Well done!” Not thought about, talked about, considered, resolved, intended, rationalized, nor excused, but done. Accomplished. Performed. Produced. Worked out.

Is it any wonder that our society is in the shape it is because so many people are allowing others, even encouraging and paying them to, as Allen Stevo says, outsource part of life’s journey?

If the shoe fits, wear it.

By Roger Mitchell - Poor Roger's Almanac

Roger Mitchell has lived in Western Montana for over a decade. His trade is residential construction and he enjoys writing about current events, politics, religion, and philosophy. Read more of his work at Poor Roger's Almanac.
Read more from Roger Mitchell - Poor Roger's Almanac

Leave a tip for the author

Support the work of Roger Mitchell - Poor Roger's Almanac.

Choose a tip amount