Editorial

When Did Government Lose Its Sanity?

David A. Lombardo

Writing a weekly newsletter and producing On Target Radio keeps me scouring for news constantly. I get news feeds from all over the world and more than I can remember from here in the U.S. I read the papers over morning coffee then sit at the computer, sometimes for over an hour, reading online feeds. The one thing that jumps out at me every single day is this country is going to hell in a hand basket.

Government at all levels has lost touch with reality. It no longer serves the people but rather dictates the whimsy of whatever left-wing, knee-jerk-reacting civil servant decides to flex their muscle instead of their brain. Not a day goes by that some bureaucratic nutcase doesn't draw an arbitrary line in the sand, putting government on the wrong side of reason and compassion. I'll cite just four recent examples, all of which are over the top.

In Garland County, Arkansas, the Stanley Family had their seven homeschooled children forcibly taken from their home. The couple was originally informed the children would be returned in 72 hours; that was five weeks ago-still no kids, and no charges have been filed. Last week the Stanleys learned that a hearing scheduled over the matter has been postponed until March 23. Let's be very clear here: the Stanleys could be Mr. and Mrs. Jack T. Ripper for all I know, but that's not the point. The issue is the Garland County government took their children and apparently didn't think it was necessary to mention why.

In Washington State a judge ruled that a 70-year-old florist who declined to make flower arrangements for a gay couple's wedding violated the state's anti-discrimination and consumer protection laws. Barronelle Stutzman, the flower shop's owner, said the decision-and its accompanying fines-will put her flower shop out of business or worse. "After the fines and legal fees, there won't be anything left. They want my home. They want my business. They want my personal finances as an example for other people to be quiet," Stutzman said.

According to the Washington State Attorney General, no court has ever held that religiously-motivated conduct, expressive or otherwise, trumps state discrimination law in public accommodations. "Religious motivation does not excuse compliance with the law," he said. Apparently he's not talked to the White House about Sharia law lately.

Then there's the retired New Jersey teacher facing 10 years in prison and the loss of his state pension for possessing a flintlock pistol that may not have been fired since George Washington was alive. Gordon Van Gilder, a retired English teacher and collector of historical items, has been charged with criminal possession of a handgun and faces up to 10 years in prison. If the 72-year-old is convicted, the charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 3.5 years, and the pension Van Gilder earned as an educator could be revoked. "It's crazy," his attorney said. "The gun was unloaded and strictly possessed as a historical relic.

The single shot Queen Anne flintlock requires untwisting the barrel to load it, but that's what you get with 1760s technology. "Apparently there must be a lot of drive-by flintlock shootings in North Jersey," Van Gilder quipped.

And finally, what's the best way to kick off a White House summit on "Countering Violent Extremism"? If you're this president, it's to invite Islam to preside over the event by opening it with Muslim prayer from an imam and making no mention of any other religion other than one disturbing note from Biden, blaming Christians for a myriad of violent murders.

Imam Sheikh Sa'ad Musse Roble, president of the World Peace Organization in Minneapolis, Minnesota, graced the group with a choice verse from the Quran. It was, "Whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption in the land, it's as if he has slain mankind entirely, and whoever saves one life, it's as if he has saved mankind entirely," which is basically saying kill all nonbelievers. When the heck did we lose control of our own government?