Rule of Law

(the following I wrote a week ago in anticipation of today's expectations.  Which didn't work out.  But why waste it?)


Why do I even follow the rules?  Laws are for suckers.

Hillary, the laws don't even apply to her.  Those are for little people, like me. 

Well, medium size people.  There are people less well off than me that also do not have to follow the rules. 

Criminals in Baltimore caught with a gun?  Invariably those very serious charges are dropped.  Ignored by the city authorities.  Well, if I had pistol in my trunk and they didn't like the soft sided pistol case or the lock I used to seal it, well, they'd charge me in a trice.  Definitely take the gun.  I wonder if they aren't returning the gun confiscated by city ne'er do well when the get out of jail on bail?...

Some of my neighbors have overstayed their tourist visas.  By decades.  If they did that much rule-following.  Not only are they not discouraged from violating the rules, there are support services designed to funnel them resources, that they do not contribute to, at every level, local state and federal.  But if I feel my income taxes are taking too much of a bite this year and try to claw some of that back, that's the sword of Damocles over my head the rest of my days.

I need to not be so much of a boy scout.  Not be a sucker.  NOT follow the rules.

On low risk rules I need to violate them on principal alone.  I'm walking on the grass where the sign says not to. Throw my batteries in the trash.  Same with aluminum cans. 

On higher risk rules, I need to not be a fool.  Don't violate them without reason.  Weigh the risk carefully.  Don't just violate them without purpose.  I would never cheat on my taxes to gain $500, for example.  It's just $500.  And I am too pretty for prison.  I'd never actually vote for Archie, even though he's been dead a year.  You can go to prison for that, and so what?  This is Maryland.  The election isn't going to be close.  [Of the last landslide elections Maryland still voted for the loser (1980.)  One of only 6 states.  You gotta get to 1984 before Maryland realizes it has a good thing going for it sticking with the Republican.  The only reason we ever have a few GOP governors is because the Dems are just so awful.  Anyhoo...]  Gun law rule breaking is stickier than any of those.  I dunno where I can ignore those rules and it'd be worth the risk.  But the difference is, NOW I am thinking about it. 

Folks deciding they didn't have to follow the law has ME contemplating what areas I can also not follow the law.  Me.  Mr. Squeaky Clean, Goody Two-Shoes, Boy Scout.  This isn't the first time I've discussed this.  But it gets worse and worse over time.  ANd it's not up to me to heal the rift, it's up to them.

IRS officials that illegally targets Tea Party groups to help their side in the 2012 election?  It Martha Stewart can go to jail for being mistake on a fact in an FBI interview, then folks at the IRS can too.  That's a start.

General Patreus can get ruined, drummed out of public life, and be threatened with jail, but Hillary and Sandy Berger and blatantly, worse than Patreus, mess around with more severely classified records and face nothing.

Bill Clinton can bang underage chicks on Whore Island and headline big events, but Bill Cosby can't show his face outside.  Either forgive Cos, or run Clinton out of the public eye.

How many sports cars of his own and cars of other people is Bieber allow to wreck before they say no more?

When things like these are evenly applied.  Where ALL the big fish face the music.  When all little fish face the same music.  I'll become a good little citizen again.  But now, I am tired and I feel used.

(the system has a reprieve if the rule of law is respected again and folks are at pains to make that permanent no matter who wins and election.  but I am still in Maryland and I am still feeling ornery)