Once upon a time, the state of Connecticut was a great place to live, work, and raise a family. Our towns, although relatively small, had a sense of community. Businesses such as General Electric and Sikorsky Aircraft made their homes here. Crime was non-existent, and the schools were second to none. Yes, Connecticut was once great, and the envy of other northeastern states. Be that as it may, Connecticut's greatness seems to have come and gone.
To be frank, the fall of Connecticut's greatness has not been sudden. Rather, it has happened gradually, and in several steps.
The first step began around the middle of the nineties. Faced with an uncertain economic future, state politicians began to impose increasing taxes. This included a highly unpopular income tax, which was championed by then-governor Lowell Weicker. Suddenly, many Connecticut families were faced with worries regarding how to make ends meet. Those concerns continue to this day, as sky-high taxation has continued unabated (1).
Step two in the fall of Connecticut is a relatively recently occurring phenomenon.
For some reason, many state-wide politicians have developed a certain "tone deafness". That is, they have become deaf to the voices of this state's citizens, the very people they are supposed to be serving. A bi-partisan and grassroots group of residents has, as of late, been able to stop highway tolls. Nevertheless, it is usually the case that when "we the people" say no to something, the "powers that be" in Hartford say yes, and vice-versa. To these politicians, the "will of the people" no longer matters, simply their own self-interests, along with the whims of their party.
Regarding the third step, it has been preceded by various "mini-steps", such as the exodus of business from this state. That said, the third of the major steps in the downfall of Connecticut is a loss of general safety.
Our so-called "leaders" have seen fit to tell us that, in the event we are attacked, we have a "duty to retreat" (2). Translated, that means we cannot defend ourselves and/or our families, even if someone looks to do us harm in the middle of the night. We cannot own certain guns for our defense, and those that we are allowed to have are extremely limited in size and scope (even down to the amount of ammunition we can have) (1). If these sort of restrictions were placed on those who secured our independence, the American Revolution would've been impossible, and never would've happened.
So what is a citizen to do when confronted by a "bad guy"? Being that we cannot defend ourselves, we must wait for police to show up. That's where the recently passed "police accountability bill" comes in (3). This bill, which will almost certainly be signed by the governor (despite around eighty-four percent of "Nutmeggers" being in opposition of it, according to WFSB Channel 3), effectively ties the hands of law enforcement. They will no longer be able to respond to instances of violence, for fear of frivolous lawsuits against them. The everyday law-abiding citizens of this state, who have the right to live in safety, will be ON THEIR OWN. Does that sound like "greatness" to you?
Now we come to the fourth, and perhaps final, step in the fall of this once great state.
The state legislature has, just this past week, passed a bill dealing with "no-excuse" absentee balloting. If you are a registered voter in Connecticut, you may now vote by mail for any race, and because of any reason (4). On paper (no pun intended), this provision of law seems to be reasonable. However, this bill carries with it some major concerns. Which state officials will have access to the ballots, and what will change in the way they are counted? Remember, it ultimately doesn't matter as much who casts the votes as who counts them. Indeed, "the people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything" (5).
You may say, "if you don't like the way local politicians are leading you, vote them out of office". Many of us in Connecticut have tried to do that. Even so, at each election we inevitably send the same nonsensical and buffoonish characters to Hartford and Washington, people that wouldn't know "reason" from a "raisin". It occurs to me that some of these "leaders" cheat in order to keep their positions (Senator Chris Murphy, I'm talking to you...go home to DC, and leave us alone!). It's happened in the past, and mark my words, it WILL happen in November.
Now, who is to blame for allowing these politicians to cheat, and rob us of our God-given rights? Unfortunately, it is us, the people of Connecticut. "Truth be told, if (we're) looking for the guilty, (we) need only look into a mirror" (6). It is a sad fact that many of us have been enabling this behavior.
Nevertheless, what is one to do when faced with high taxation, no right to self-defense, politicians that no longer listen, and elections that are exceedingly open to the possibility of fraud (so much so that our votes don't seem to matter for much)? There are three options; accept the status quo, fight to make things better, or relocate. It seems to me that many have chosen the third course of action.
Once upon a time, Connecticut was a great state; now, it is the running gag of the East Coast. Our state has become practically uninhabitable; not because of natural disaster or drought, but due to a man-made disaster called socialism. If you live in another state, let our story serve as a cautionary tale. Look out and speak up; otherwise, the same may happen to you. Yes, it CAN happen here.
Sources:
1. Personal knowledge.
2. Penal Code, Use of Physical Force in Defense of Person. Title 53a, Chapter 951, Section 53a-19, Sub-Section 2.
5. Attributed to Josef Stalin.
6. V For Vendetta. 2006. [film] Burbank, CA: Warner Bros. Pictures.
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