ALPINE, UT | 24 March 2008 | The proper role of government at any level is to protect the individual’s inalienable rights. Many times, in an effort to do the right thing, officials make the wrong decision. They mean well, but are misdirected. We see this on the state and local levels as much as on the federal level. The Maryland bill banning cell phone use while driving is such a case in point. While the effort is good-natured, it simply is not within a government’s proper role.

Key Points:

• The bill prohibits cell phone use while driving, including talking on the phone and text messaging.
• The bill provides for only a secondary infraction, meaning police would not be able to pull someone over for just using the phone while driving, but the citation could be added if the driver was speeding or has other infractions.
• Proponents to the bill have attempted for many years to put this bill on the books.
• The bill still would need to pass the Maryland State House before it could become a law. Ms. Wyatt reports that it is not clear whether it would pass the House.

Conclusion:

The Founding Fathers were smart about the way they set up the governing processes in the United Sates. They drew up a Constitution that very specifically defined the proper roles available to the federal branches. And the intent was to push issues such as this cell phone use down to more local levels. So far, the good thing is this bill is considered on the state level in Maryland, the highest level at which it belongs. The basic idea is the closer to the people a decision like this gets, the better it will be for those people. They will know the legislators on a personal basis and will have more sway in their opinions.

Many people believe that since one of the proper roles of government is to protect life, there ought to be laws such as this to protect its citizens. This is, however, misapplied, for it robs the citizen of many other rights. The citizen should be allowed to think for himself to make the most relevant decision for himself. It may be true that using a cell phone while driving impairs the driver’s ability to respond to road conditions.

Some people may respond by saying this type of bill is too trivial to worry about, especially while the supreme court is arguing gun control and similar issues; however, if you give the government an inch, they’ll take your whole life. Best to stop them in their tracks on these smaller matters rather than waiting until they want to take your guns and your house and your life.

Action Steps:

1. Read “The Proper Role of Government” by Ezra Taft Benson.
2. Review current bills in your area, on every level. Pinpoint the ones that violate the proper role of government as outlined by Benson.
3. Contact those legislators in your area who are grappling with those issues and discuss with them your opinion.

Reference(s):

Date: Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Source: Washington Times, “Senate OKs Ban on Driver Phoning”
Author: Kristen Wyatt
MRFC Principles: (11,12)