The New Counterculture

Fifty some years ago, the 1960s brought forth on this continent a new counterculture, conceived in sex, drugs and rock'n'roll and dedicated to peace and love. They said, "If we were in charge, things would be different." Now, they are in charge, and things are different. It turns out that their leaders are bigger tyrants and oppressors than the ones they criticized. They're using the force of government to compel We the People think and act the way they do.

Today, we have a new counterculture: the tea parties. What are we dedicated to? Well, we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

We are the new counterculture; they are the establishment! And when we regain control, I hope we remember these principles - embodied in The Constitution of the United States - and that we live by them.

Resisting the Natural Progress of Things

Are biodegradable plastic shopping bags the biggest problem Bellingham faces? I think not, because few people were talking about it until a few days before the city council shoved the shopping bag ban down our throats. If it isn’t high on the Bellinghamsters’ agenda, then whose agenda is it? And why is it being imposed on us?

In a free country, when consumers identify a problem, they demand solutions from their producers. Then consumers vote with their dollars for the preferred solution. But no, here we use the force of government to compel everyone to adopt The Agenda, and implement the prescribed solution – under penalty of law.

Mind you, this is not about the bags. This is about freedom. Thomas Jefferson said, "The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." To preserve our freedom, we must resist "the natural progress of things", even over silly things, such as bag bans.

Retailers supporting the ban include Fred Meyer, Albertsons, Haggen, Village Books, Paper Dreams, Terra Organica… maybe others. Please vote with your dollars to let them know, they can promote environmental awareness without disrespecting your freedom so trivially.