Greetings.
Recently, I was shown a video clip taken from the reality television series, "What Would You Do." For those not familiar, the show is essentially a series of mock situations that actors perform which lead bystanders to believe are really happening, when in fact they are not. The objective of these mock situations is to determine what kind of responses people would likely have if a real-time situation (like the one being acted out) actually took place.
This particular clip that I was shown was filmed at a New Jersey oceanfront bar. The two actors were posing as a drunk attractive female (celebrating her 21st birthday) and a young man trying to pick her up and take advantage of her. Needless to say, the object of the clip was to determine if anyone would step in, put a stop to it, and stand up for the young woman who, in a real-time situation, likely would have ended up being sexually assaulted.
Thankfully, as you can see in the video, several bystanders DO step up to protect the young woman. Among them are two gentlemen and several women.
Unfortunately, however, those NOT among the alert bystanders are two off-duty police officers who not only don't step up to assist the potential sexual assault victim, but can be heard in the video egging the predator on and even suggesting where he might take the young woman to carry out his crime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QcLs98NeJY
(Note: The entire video is worth watching, but to see the actual portion with the two off-duty cops, watch 6:45-8:15).
It gets worse. After the producers come out and reveal that the entire set-up is a hoax, the off-duty cops are then asked why they didn't intervene. Their response is simply that they didn't want to "complicate" things by stepping in.
Some observations should be made here. First of all, obviously NOT ALL police officers are like this. Many are fine, upstanding citizens who are every bit as principled and sincere as they come. They are great family men who love and invest in their communities and, as such, are to be commended.
On the other hand, though, incidents like this can teach us plenty; not just about law enforcement and government, but about human nature as a whole. And that's simply because ALL OF US are susceptible to the same flawed human condition that lead to misdeeds of commission and omission like the ones that we witness in the video. Police and government officials are certainly no exception to this. But yet, we continue to place a disproportionate amount of trust in our "of the people / by the people" government, often not realizing that "of the people / by the people" necessarily implies that the same people who are just as susceptible to crime as the rest of us will end up representing and protecting us.
For those of us, like myself, whose level of trust in government is often tentative at best, the take-away here is simple: YOU are ultimately responsible for your own security, provision and other life needs. Yes, government has a legitimate role in society; namely the protection of life, liberty and property. Yes, the police need to be involved to a degree when a violent act occurs. But relying on government 100% of the time to have the moral fortitude to do what is right is a dangerously flawed and misguided approach to securing one's life and person. And as sovereign citizens, we, first and foremost, must be prepared to take responsibility for ourselves, our families, and for our communities.
Again, I have no doubt that there exist plenty of fine, upstanding men and women who wear a badge and would have wasted no time in stopping what they thought was a sexual assault in progress, had they been given the chance. But because exceptions to that rule exist, it is incumbent on individuals to ensure that their rights and property are protected and secure at all times. It is YOUR responsibility. And it starts with YOU.
Videos like this one can be hard to watch, but they serve as stark reminders of why we should place trust in anyone (government included) with a great deal of reserve and hesitancy. My hope is that all of us will do that. And that you will live free in an unfree world.
Praesant Libero!
-Warren Brisbane
Friday, July 18, 2014
Friday, July 11, 2014
Don't Fence Us In - The Border Crisis and Essential Liberty.
Greetings.
Been another eventful week as we have seen plenty of activity in our world. Threats to liberty abound, as always. Fortunately, so do liberty-loving patriots like yours truly and, presumably, those of you who read this blog.
This week, coverage of the ongoing crisis at the southern border of the United States has been continual. For those paying attention, towns all along our border with Mexico have been virtually overrun with immigrants as young as five years old. These children, we are told, are seeking nothing more than to be reunited with their parents and, as such, should be allowed in and not deported. On the other side of the ideological debate, angry calls for immediate deportation have been equally plenteous.
As with any major event, there has been no shortage of anger, opinions, protests, cable news interviews, and plenty of calls for government officials to "do something" in the wake of what has transpired. In particular, renewed and reinvigorated calls for increased border security abound, especially pertaining to building a "wall" along our southern border with Mexico. Arguments in favor of this, predictably enough, are usually infused with such terms as "national security," "safety," "economic health," and "eliminating welfare dependence."
How should those who value essential liberty respond to all of this? I suggest the following:
1) We should be compassionate. This nation was founded on limited government, but what often gets left out of the discussion is the fact that our founders sought limited government in part so that individuals and private enterprises could care for their neighbors according to their needs. Government cannot do this, so we, as sovereign individuals, must. Extending care and concern for these children is a moral imperative.
2) Building a fence is not the answer. It never has been. The only thing a tall fence will create is demand for slightly taller ladders. Granted, I speak hyperbolically here, but the principle is the same. Using government force to keep people out may solve the problem for a time. But it will not ultimately solve the problem long-term. People will find a way to get into the country regardless of how many armed guards and miles of fence are placed at the Mexican border.
3) Immigration reform should be simplified and should focus on knowing who is here and why. Lest we forget, we are a nation of immigrants. Our society was built by those searching for a better life than what they found in their native countries, very much like many of the immigrants who cross our borders today (to include, yes, SOME of those who do so illegally). Our immigration process should be simplified so that anyone who wants to come here, work, be productive, and contribute to society can do so without the specter of expired papers and possible deportation looming over them.
4) Welfare reform and government spending are ultimately the means to solve the border crisis. Let's not kid ourselves: our growing welfare state is what is attracting many (though certainly not all) immigrants here in the first place. While welfare and perpetual poverty are often inextricably linked here in America, many of those coming here illegally still see our system as a way out of the third-world hell-holes they are coming from. And thus, they are all too happy to cross the border illegally, live off of our system, and enjoy the benefits of "enhanced poverty," as it were. Making welfare as localized and limited as possible would disincentivize those whose aim is to be a life-long beneficiary of, and not a producer within, our society. It's time we got serious welfare reform and justice for the individual taxpayer.
As always, both conservatives and liberals are missing the point here. The solution is neither to "deport and militarize" our border, nor is it to perpetually provide a taxpayer-funded haven to those who have come here illegally. As with every other issue our nation faces, individual liberty, for the immigrant and for the taxpayer, should be front and center in finding a solution.
Praesant Libero!
-Warren Brisbane
Been another eventful week as we have seen plenty of activity in our world. Threats to liberty abound, as always. Fortunately, so do liberty-loving patriots like yours truly and, presumably, those of you who read this blog.
This week, coverage of the ongoing crisis at the southern border of the United States has been continual. For those paying attention, towns all along our border with Mexico have been virtually overrun with immigrants as young as five years old. These children, we are told, are seeking nothing more than to be reunited with their parents and, as such, should be allowed in and not deported. On the other side of the ideological debate, angry calls for immediate deportation have been equally plenteous.
As with any major event, there has been no shortage of anger, opinions, protests, cable news interviews, and plenty of calls for government officials to "do something" in the wake of what has transpired. In particular, renewed and reinvigorated calls for increased border security abound, especially pertaining to building a "wall" along our southern border with Mexico. Arguments in favor of this, predictably enough, are usually infused with such terms as "national security," "safety," "economic health," and "eliminating welfare dependence."
How should those who value essential liberty respond to all of this? I suggest the following:
1) We should be compassionate. This nation was founded on limited government, but what often gets left out of the discussion is the fact that our founders sought limited government in part so that individuals and private enterprises could care for their neighbors according to their needs. Government cannot do this, so we, as sovereign individuals, must. Extending care and concern for these children is a moral imperative.
2) Building a fence is not the answer. It never has been. The only thing a tall fence will create is demand for slightly taller ladders. Granted, I speak hyperbolically here, but the principle is the same. Using government force to keep people out may solve the problem for a time. But it will not ultimately solve the problem long-term. People will find a way to get into the country regardless of how many armed guards and miles of fence are placed at the Mexican border.
3) Immigration reform should be simplified and should focus on knowing who is here and why. Lest we forget, we are a nation of immigrants. Our society was built by those searching for a better life than what they found in their native countries, very much like many of the immigrants who cross our borders today (to include, yes, SOME of those who do so illegally). Our immigration process should be simplified so that anyone who wants to come here, work, be productive, and contribute to society can do so without the specter of expired papers and possible deportation looming over them.
4) Welfare reform and government spending are ultimately the means to solve the border crisis. Let's not kid ourselves: our growing welfare state is what is attracting many (though certainly not all) immigrants here in the first place. While welfare and perpetual poverty are often inextricably linked here in America, many of those coming here illegally still see our system as a way out of the third-world hell-holes they are coming from. And thus, they are all too happy to cross the border illegally, live off of our system, and enjoy the benefits of "enhanced poverty," as it were. Making welfare as localized and limited as possible would disincentivize those whose aim is to be a life-long beneficiary of, and not a producer within, our society. It's time we got serious welfare reform and justice for the individual taxpayer.
As always, both conservatives and liberals are missing the point here. The solution is neither to "deport and militarize" our border, nor is it to perpetually provide a taxpayer-funded haven to those who have come here illegally. As with every other issue our nation faces, individual liberty, for the immigrant and for the taxpayer, should be front and center in finding a solution.
Praesant Libero!
-Warren Brisbane
Friday, July 4, 2014
Happy 4th of July from The Brisbane File
Greetings, readers.
No lengthy post this week in observance of Independence Day. Have a blessed weekend and remember the spirit of rebellion against tyranny that gave birth to this great nation. And practice it when necessary.
Live Free!
-Warren Brisbane
No lengthy post this week in observance of Independence Day. Have a blessed weekend and remember the spirit of rebellion against tyranny that gave birth to this great nation. And practice it when necessary.
Live Free!
-Warren Brisbane
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