Epiphany!

I work you know, always in the morning. I arise at 6 in the ante-meridian and can usually be found in a sleep-drunken stupor until I reach work at 8 (at which point I am forced to activate my higher brain functions). I say this to inform everyone of the state of mind I am in on my drive to work. There is hardly enough brain activity to yell at stupid drivers and dodge roadkill. The stage being set, let me tell you in a few short words of a wonderful experience the other morning.

I was about 10 seconds removed from my driveway and traveling through our neighborhood at a modest 20 miles per hour. I slowed down for some walker-moms (that's what I call the mothers above 40 who are caught in a state of motion somewhere between walking and jogging). I then had to swerve around some trash cans that had traveled a little too far into the road. My mind was only vaguely aware of them at first. Then out of the blue: ZAP! My mind hit a live wire and the neurons went crazy. All because of the blue trash cans that belong to the city of Fruit Heights.

I thought about trash, or more specifically the amounts I produce as a consumer. For some reason this led to me thinking about that darn state income tax I pay along with federal income tax. This led me to conclude that the taxes I pay Utah support the city's waste programs. But why do I pay them? When did I agree to pay for other people's trash to be removed? Yes it's a nice service but shouldn't I have the right to decide if I want other people to remove my trash for me? That's why we pay for something don't we? For goods and services WE WANT? But that I should be FORCED to pay for a service I don't necessarily want is wrong. What if I want to find my own way of getting rid of the garbage in my house? We should never be forced to pay for something we don't want. The common good? Whats that you just said? Sounds a little like socialism to me. No thank you. I have the right to my property which includes my money and where it goes.

I realize this is not a perfect world and there are laws that have been established. But what if a law is unconstitutional or takes away our free agency? Where and when do we draw the line? I realize that the subject of garbage seems like a silly one, but though it is a small example it proves my point. How many other topics could I mention at this moment? There are many. This blog might have been longer but my brother is now watching Lost at this moment so my attention span in weakening. I'll have to leave it this. Agree or disagree? Leave a comment one way or another.