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Ray Haynes

Will California Choose Freedom or Arrogance?

We are about a week away from the recall, and it is too close to call at this moment. That is actually good news for California.

If someone had asked me a year ago, I would have said the recall is an exercise in futility. California is too lost. Its leadership is too far gone, and, unfortunately, too reflective of the people of the state of California. We deserve the government we get, and the people of the state of California have shown that they deserve a government that puts the the health and safety of its citizens at risk by letting dangerous criminals out of jail, locks law-abiding citizens in their home claiming to protect their health and safety, takes as much money as it can out of the pockets of its hard working citizens claiming it has compassion for people who refuse to work, pays those who enter this country illegally from the pockets of its citizens, and then seeks to force those citizens to get vaccinations while failing to assure those who have entered the country illegally are disease free. And the citizens of this state buy all of that, either because they personally profit from the system (like the government unions), or they “hate the rich,” or they are genuinely deceived by those in government who claim to be doing all of this out of the “goodness of their heart.”

A powerful government, one that always obtains its power at the expense of the freedom of its citizens, creates arrogant leaders and obsequious, servile citizens. The reason is that political leaders soon learn that they can keep their power by making people rely on the government for their economic livelihood. The leaders who intrude on the free market with government regulation can grant or withhold economic benefits from its citizens, and the citizens come to the government leaders, hat in hand, simply to feed their families.

Economic freedom is the most important freedom there is. A political activists that criticizes the government leaders, and pays for his or her comments with his or her life or freedom, becomes a martyr. The citizen who criticizes the government leader, and pays for it with his or her job or business, still has to explain to his or her family why there is no food on the table. Do you wonder if economic freedom is more important than free speech? Just ask yourself this question, what land developer do you know (and all land developers rely on government to get a permit to develop their land) will criticize a city councilperson who will later vote on their development permit? None, of course. And if one cannot criticize a government leader for fear of losing their business, what good is freedom of speech?

Left uncriticized, the government leaders become arrogant, full of themselves and certain of their intelligence, and people suffer, as California is suffering at the hands of its political leaders now.

Californians have a choice on September 14. The recall started because of Gavin Newsom’s arrogance. It has gotten legs because of Gavin Newsom’s arrogance. If it succeeds, it will be because of Gavin Newsom’s arrogance. Will Californians ratify that arrogance? Or will they choose freedom? Will they choose a candidate that wants less government intrusion, in their faith, in their business, in their families or in their homes. The fact is the lockdown was not necessary. Closing of churches, restaurants, local gyms and exercise facilities, and countless small business was an exercise of raw power by Newsom for the sole purpose of punishing his political opponents. That is demonstrated by the fact that large businesses, whose obsequious servitude to the politicians in power is evident by their contributions and political activity, were left open, and small businesses and churches, the source of most of the opposition to Newsom and the Democrat leadership in California were shut down.

Californians may still choose obsequious servitude. I have learned to never underestimate the foolishness of many Californians, and I mean foolishness to mean that, to the extent they keep the current leadership in power they believe they will get a safer, healthier and stronger California. The folks that got us to this point will be emboldened, and believe they now have a green light to acquire more power at the expense of our freedom.

The arrogant leaders of the Legislature will still be in place after the recall, but they might be disciplined a little. Only time will tell on that front. However, removing Gavin Newsom will eliminate one arrogant leader, and that will give the other arrogant leaders pause. I simply ask Californians to choose freedom, and not arrogance.