Thank you Congressman Dick Armey of Texas for battling the Big Brotherism of the federal government. You know, that organization you’ve worked for these past 17 years.
Mr. Armey has criticized the National Park Service’s use of surveillance cameras to ticket speeders. He wrote to the Interior Department, “I am concerned that this may be seen as a step toward a Big Brother surveillance state, where the government monitors the comings and goings of its citizens.”
There’s only one problem with Armey’s position: He voted to put those cameras right where they are. Yes he did. He voted for that very legislation.
Of course, he doesn’t remember that because like most congressmen he didn’t read the bill. If he had read the bill, surely his “philosophical objections” would have caused him to reject it.
This is Washington’s dirty little secret. It’s called the ignorance defense and it’s quite popular on Capitol Hill. These “experts” don’t have a clue what they are even voting on. They have all that wonderful experience they keep telling us about . . . but it doesn’t matter how much experience you have if you don’t even read the legislation.
And who does? Ask YOUR congressman if he’s read every word of every bill he has ever cast a vote on. This will test his honesty, too, because he hasn’t.
If our congressmen don’t read the bills they vote on, who does? And who’s running the government? Boy, these are tough questions . . . maybe our experienced congressmen can tell us the answers. But don’t bet on it.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.