Control Over Lives

In 1957, Ayn Rand said: “The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals . . . when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. . . . But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted, and you create a nation of lawbreakers. . . . And then you cash in on guilt.” Read “Atlas Shrugged” from the perspective of what the government is doing to us today.

The outcome of the installation of the radar weather station on Sulphur Mountain Road in Ojai is more far-reaching than it appears. The decision will affect the nation, not just the residents.

There are so many laws being enacted to control every aspect of our lives that our freedom is being insidiously eroded. Unless we stand up to government agencies that are functioning for their convenience, rather than our benefit, we are going to find that all our rights have been legislated away.

The residents of Sulphur Mountain have had to blockade, hire attorneys and beg representatives for their rights.

Why was the project done in secrecy? Why has the government flaunted its power with such blatant disregard for the concerns of the residents? What moral and ethical right does a government have to confiscate property for such a purpose? And why should I feel fear in writing a letter such as this?

This situation will become a political tool. How our representatives handle it should be remembered at election time.

PAULA SPELLMAN

Ojai