Naked Abuse of Power

“I don’t like the adult entertainment industry” he proclaimed, and it was clear that he would use any immoral, illegal and unethical means at his disposal to drive it from ‘his’ city.  He is, after all Der Fürher von Phoenix— in his own depraved mind anyway.

 

Who can say which is worse, naked ladies prancing around on stage in a pay-for-entry private establishment for adults, or a megalomaniac who thinks a mere election to Bürgermeister (that’s ‘Mayor’ for all the readers who are limited to the ‘English only’ mentality) has imbued him with an unlimited God-like power over his subjects and the final judge as to what you (his employer) may or may not be exposed to?

 

Okay, I have to admit that adult entertainment is not something that gets any consideration or business from me, but Il Philippé isn’t going to expose himself and his sleazy naked abuse of power on television without getting my comments.  Frankly, I’d rather be exposed to a naked woman’s body than to his perverted ideas on morality.

 

Naked girls are ‘bad for society and lead to moral decay’, you say?  Maybe, but far worse are politicians passing their own brand of politically transmitted diseases over the public airwaves.  You can walk away from the unclad human form or simply choose not to go inside, but you can’t ignore the disgusting overreaching effects of simple-minded politicians thinking it’s all right to use every low down, individual Rights-stomping means to have their way with Citizens who aren’t in their favor.

 

Anyone who really understands the concept of individual freedom has to appreciate a man who is willing to stand up to the bureaucratic machine.  At least he knows that you do not possess any Right that you are not willing to defend.

 

When I spoke to Stuart Char it became clear that he was not going to back down when faced with the hassles brought on by a self-righteous Mayor.  He’s been fighting for his due all along, and finally, he had had enough—it was time for a showdown.  Although he didn’t even know what a Libertarian was, he was sounding pretty Libertarian to me.

 

He didn’t fly off the handle into stock attempts to persuade like, ‘what about those poor prancing women who are being deprived of employment just trying to work their way through college?’ ‘it’s just harmless entertainment’, or even ‘it keeps the perverts off the street’. 

 

Instead, he stuck to his guns and his Rights as a legitimately recognized businessman.  He reached his limit:  Enough of the City dragging its feet and holding up permits and inspections just to cause him grief—an obvious attempt to try to wear down his resolve and drain his resources.

 

As we spoke, I remember recalling an old quote, “The limits of tyranny are defined by the endurance of the oppressed”, and Mr. Char’s endurance reached its limit.  In that sense, I had to think, “Hooray for finding the end to patience”.  If more people had this man’s attitude, we’d all be a lot closer to freedom.

 

In Mr. Char’s case the City, ostensibly at the behest of Mr. Gordon, has dogged him all along by holding up permits and inspections of all kinds ultimately leading Mr. Char to go ahead and open his establishment even without the long overdue permits and inspections.  Good for him.

 

It’s been a long strange trip for Mr. Char.  Ultimately it came down to the City holding up meaningless permits like a ‘Certificate of Occupancy’ and ‘signage’.  When that nonsense was exposed they continued to harass this man with—get this—health and safety ‘issues’.  Yeah, right.  That was the excuse to ‘require’ a marriage ‘license’.  Of course, once that racist scam came to light they dropped all pretense of health testing and now it’s just another fee.    

 

I don’t seek to stand up for this man because of his vocation, but because he is entitled to his rights, period, and it is my (and your) duty as Citizens to protect them from government abuse.  Otherwise, who’ll stand up when elected officials use the color of law to impose their wants on y-o-u? 

 

Just as the only reason we even have a government is to protect individual Rights, it is our responsibility to actively intercede when those in office don’t behave.

 

But what about neighbor businesses?  Do they, can they, have a say?  In effect can they control what businesses go in down the block?  No.  To think otherwise opens a Pandora’s box that will without question lead to stifling competition—that would amount to allowing ‘anti-trust’ activities on a local scale.  I’d bet Bill Gates would love to hear that.  I’d argue that all business’ have to be treated exactly the same—period.

 

Even the Mayor and the City Council have to play by their own rules—or why even have them?  If the business neighbors don’t like another business, they can always shun them, or move—but they cannot be allowed to control the neighborhood using influence with crooked politicians or the color of law to effect their wants.  To continue this way is to use the Socialist concept that the majority can trample the Rights of the individual.

 

And people wonder why I refuse to abandon my Libertarian philosophy and seek the ‘sameness’ of the Republicans or the Democrats.  Well it’s because I know that a Socialist by any other name is still a Socialist.  ONLY the Libertarian philosophy actually takes a stand for the individual—both the ‘big’ and the ‘little’ guy.

 

Remember Randy Bailey, of Bailey’s Brake Shop over in Mesa?  That was another example of what can only be called a corrupt Mayor and City Council.  The political thugs behind the attempted thefts of Mr. Bailey and Mr. Char’s property (their respective business’) should be held in stocks in the City Square so I could make a fortune selling pelting tomatoes.

 

All of these clowns try to convince us that ‘progress’ or morals are behind their actions, but I have news, morals can only be forwarded by example and this guy Gordon is as devoid of morals as a common rock.

 

They say that timing is everything in the marketplace, maybe now is a good time to invest in torches and pitchforks.

 

Barry Hess is the Vice-Chair of the Arizona Libertarian Party, a member of the State Treasurer’s Character in Government Committee, a national speaker on Individual Rights Issues, and a candidate for Governor in 2006.  He can be reached at, AZGovernor@Earthlink.Net

 

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