Do-gooders, meddlers, tinkerers and superiors

"Live and let live."

Anyone capable of reading these words has lived long enough to have developed a set of values, probably dearly held, by which they live. Good for you. I hope they serve you well.

That covers the first word. Now, the hard part, with which many people struggle, is the last 2 words: "let live". Don't force your values on others. Don't vote for representatives who do so. Don't give money to organizations that do so. Don't be a do-gooder, meddler, tinkerer or superior.

Who are these people that feel so confident, so righteous, about how things should work that they feel no hesitation to try to shape the world into that image? I guess it's tempting. On one hand, you see a poor man. On the other, a rich man. It just seems right that the rich man should be charitable and give money to the poor man. So, since the rich man doesn't share my values, I'll just support the passage of a law that forces him to give money. That way, my clearly noble value is imposed on these wayward people and we'll all be better off. Yes, that feels better.

Or the gay man living the life of sin. Doesn't he see the evil, the unholiness, of his life? I'm sure I can help him by making his lifestyle illegal. By not allowing him the same choices as a heterosexual man. He'll be better off and society will benefit by discouraging such behavior. Yes, that feels better.

Or the businessman that doesn't embrace the importance of diversity. Doesn't he see the richness of experience and the valuable points of view he could have? He lives in his ivory tower, unaware of all that today's colorful society has to offer. We can fix that by forcing him to have a mixture of employees, possibly through forced quotas or tax incentives. His company will be better off, society will benefit, people of color will be given opportunities to participate in the workplace. Yes, that feels better.

Motorcyclists should wear helmets? Credit card companies should not have high interest rates? Bars should be smoke free? Wall street pay should be limited? Strip clubs should be outlawed? Art should be funded by tax dollars? Beer should not be sold on Sunday? More people should be given home mortgages? Health care should be free and equal for all people?

Who are these people? The answer is: the vast majority of us. I have met very few people in my life who draw a line between promoting their opinions through friendly discourse and forcing an idea through government action. Everyone seems to have their own pet issue or two, happily promoting them through campaigning, donations or voting. Politicians even trade issues: you support mine and I'll support yours.

The truth is that very few people believe in "Live and let live." And the funny thing is that most people will say just the opposite. Just ask someone and their initial reaction will be "Sure, live and let live. That's my motto." And then probe a little deeper to find out what they want to outlaw or what government programs they support. Maybe they'll make the connection. Probably not.

I'm sure some people will say that I'm no different, that my pet issue is freedom. Since I support "forcing" freedom on people, I must be a meddler, a do-gooder. Supporting the absence of meddling is itself meddling.

Nonsense.

I draw my non-meddling inspiration from the greatest group of non-meddlers ever assembled, the Founding Fathers of the United States. I'm not sure human history has ever witnessed such an example of wisdom and restraint, with a vision toward the greatness of our potential, as our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Live and let live, coded into a system of government.

I find it amusing, but tiresome, when one meddler gets angry at other meddlers. I have a friend who adamantly insists that taxpayer money should be used to fund the NEA, the National Endowment for the Arts. People should support art and if they don't have enough sense to do it on their own, we'll just make them. Yes, that feels better. But then she gets upset when another meddler tries to direct taxpayer money toward abstinence counseling or the space program.

Yes, that's the true pragmatic reason for restraint, discipline and a commitment to limited government. Don't be a meddler because you don't want to open the door to other meddlers that may not share your values. You may not be able to force others to live in your heaven, but then you won't have to live in theirs either.