Today, “law” and regulations have become tools to force people to behave in ways government officials approve of, rather than a clear line that citizens can respect in order to live their lives in privacy and peace. Government agencies now routinely covertly change their regulations. The rule of law – the classical concept endorsed by the Massachusetts constitution of 1780 as a restraint on government power – has been replaced by the “rule of memo,” whereby federal officials on a whim create new rules to bind private citizens.
The above is yet another reason why I plan to never fly commercially again. Below is a related incident I encountered yesterday at the Social Security Administration.
The security guard at the local SSA office must have been late yesterday. I arrived early, was greeted by a friendly staffer and concluded my business with an efficient worker in minutes and went on my way. About 2 hours later, I decided to return to verify a question I had and the security guard greeted me:
Guard: "Do you have a weapon?"
Me: "No. I only have a cell phone."
Guard: "Turn it off or put it on vibrate."
Me: "It's on vibrate."
Guard: "You can't call anybody!"
Me: "I don't intend to call anybody."
Guard: "Sit down and wait."
Me: "I gotta go."
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