What if a system of political thought could be reflected in the actions of a few restless college students? Perhaps larger truths about that system lay in the fight over one of college's most notorious rituals: the house party.
A highly vocal minority have written letters and columns to castigate the new Muncie initiative to curb house party violations. What those opponents fail to realize is that they are the ones making the case for the crackdown.
Consider how the American system is ordered. Instead of being run by a top-down monarchy, we govern ourselves by a bottom-up approach. The power is not in the hands of one, but many; the responsibility is in the people's hands.
Part of that responsibility is the need for people to obey laws. The rule of law becomes paramount since a monarch is not the controlling entity. As the American people run our society, it is up to them to act responsibly, to police themselves.
If one or several of those people begin to openly defy the laws, they introduce disorder into the system. They are stating that they desire freedom from the responsibility inherent with their participation in society. In doing so, they shun personal accountability and abdicate their civic duty.
At this point a vacuum is created. In order to keep a societal system running, a different entity must fill the void of ensuring order. This falls on the police who are charged with dealing with those who defy the law. If certain citizens abandon order, the police must now take a more prominent role.
When this happens, the government becomes the controlling entity instead of the people. That's not what the Founders had in mind. The way to ensure the American system's viability is to be vigilant in acting as a responsible citizen. That means respecting the rule of law. Without this, the system fails and the vacuum is filled by other forces.
The bottom line is that if one is unwilling to act responsibly, someone else will invariably do it for you. This results in a loss of freedom instead of the illusory as someone else orders your life instead of you.
Russell Kirk has addressed this issue in a critique of liberalism. Kirk notes that liberals ask for "freedom from that order, public and personal, which has nurtured justice and true liberty." Kirks says "the typical latter-day liberal is not aware that his proposals and his actions are life denying; nay, he fancies that they are life enhancing."
Those opposing the "Police Yourself" campaign are asking for the freedom from personal responsibility stemming from one's drinking proclivities. They think they are upholding the pursuit of personal freedom and following in patriotic footsteps, but they are really hurting the community, not helping it.
If a certain few continue to defy personal responsibility, they continue to incur increased policing activity. This results in less freedom for all since the police are now ordering society, not the citizens.
The way to end the crackdown is simple: demonstrate personal responsibility and promote a safe and orderly environment for all. If students show they can make rational, adult decisions, the police will trust them in turn, and the crackdown ends. End result: everyone wins.
Have a productive and enjoyable summer.
Write to Jeff at mannedarena@yahoo.com
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