Mandates

Recent Board of Supervisors vote in Charlotte County and Prince Edward County to unanimously bow to The Department of Environmental Quality’s Storm Water Mandate. This comes on the heels our Virginia Legislature voting to give DEQ more power over us than Washington’s EPA.

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I have pondered the power of Mandate. Mandate seems to be some strong-armed being that different federal and state agencies have at their disposal to coerce local government into passing ordinances that more frequently than not have to do with relieving us of some of our rights. He sometimes offers gifts, in the form of monetary assistance, or threatens to take away some if his wishes are not complied with. In the latter, a reverse Santa Claus, if you will, who can take away your “Free Money,” a locality was promised previously and threaten legal action against any representative of the people with the common gall to stand against him.

Mandate is often brought into life by a slick lobbyist who represents some group with nefarious financial or power plans that offer campaign contributions or support from Bad PAC. Good Pac may lobby against him if Good can catch on to the gist of the legislation in time. In the mean time my legislator is confronted with a train load of other bills to consider and has a lot of decisions to make in a short period of time. There is no way he can read them all so he must rely on the input of others. Some bills are good, some bad depending upon your political leanings. Good PAC and Bad PAC are both whispering in the legislator’s ear while he is trying to take this all in and the vote is soon to be called for. Pressure? Sure it is, but he took an Oath of Office and must uphold it or must be held in violation of that oath when he supports un-constitutional Mandates. Some legislators are far better at seeing through this mayhem and disguise of Mandate than others.

Mandate is sometimes a manifestation of socialism participated in by the very representatives that claim innocence by saying, “Mandate was sent down to us by XYZ Agency and Mandate will prosecute me if I stand against him.”

Perhaps our county supervisors would better serve us by being more informed of what is happening in our higher echelons of government and working to stop Mandate before he is born. County supervisors were hired to protect us, not to help usurp our Constitutional Rights. Most county boards belong to VACO, which encourages and lobbies for Mandate when he wants to take away more of our Property Rights. NACO, the national parent of VACO is a member of ICLEI. ICLEI is the arm of United Nations Agenda 21 charged with infiltrating our local government through our local Planning Commission or “Comprehensive Plan.” Supervisors that participate in these actions are in violation of their Oath of Office. As with our legislators in Richmond, some supervisors are much better than others at gaining the truth in these matters.

Some of our local residents participate in bringing about Mandate by supporting Farm Bureau. Farm Bureau’s lobby also helps to produce Mandates that rob us of our rights and I invite you to question their lobbying history in our legislature.

MANDATES ARE NOT LAW unless we accept and make them so.

In God Given Liberty, Hud Marston

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The latest tragedy in Pennsylvania again shows the failure of government to do what is right in regard to its responsibility to protect the public from weapons.  The young perpetrator had not one but two knives similar to the military assault knives carried by our troops.  Knives, swords, sabers have been used for millennia to make war and kill people.  Knives are made to kill.

There is no need for private citizens to possess assault knives or any knife with blades of sufficient length to do bodily harm.  Certainly those knives that have multiple blades or other injurious attachments should be banned altogether. All knives should be registered, and background checks be given for those who may use them in commercial restaurants and food preparation centers.  Anyone who feels the need to possess one for personal protection such as officers of the law, civil guards, and celebrities who meet the crush of strangers on a regular basis should be able to posses a knife; and granted a “Permit to Carry” only after a rigorous training program.

This writer is aware of knife shows where individuals can buy and sell knives without regulation.  Surely there should be legislation so that there is no knife show loophole wherein one could purchase an unregistered knife.  I would not doubt the existence of a National Knife Association of knife nuts who contribute heavily to right-wing politicians who bow to their cause.  Where in the Constitution does it say the people have a right to own knives?

It is time to do something to address the knife culture that exists in our society.  National and state governments should insist on legislation to control knives in our country.  Local governments and police forces should insist on knife buy-back programs to reduce the number of available knives in our cities, towns, and rural areas.  Remember, an unregulated society is anarchy and chaos.  What this country needs is more regulation and less freedom!

David Torrence, Meherrin