Last weekend I went to the Tempe Arts Festival. I have been trying to only take the bus and rail or ride my bike at least one day a week, a commitment I upheld this day. After a hour and a half, I arrived in Tempe. Where the train let off was where the fair started. I went to cross the street, against the light with no traffic coming when I heard a man yelling.
"HEY HEY HEY!!!!"
I turned to see who was yelling and at what. To my surprise, it was a cop yelling at ME.
"You can't cross now", he said.
"Why not?" I asked. I told him I wasn't asking to be insubordinate, but because I was sure I was breaking no law.
"Do you see the little red hand?"
"Sir, what I see is you being condescending to me. Now what is the law I would be breaking to cross this street. I am at an intersection. There are no cars coming. So, so far, I am not jay walking nor am I obstructing or impeding traffic."
"I will write you a ticket."
"On what grounds, sir?'
"It's a..." He looks to his partner fro a little assistance.
"Isn't is a 28...6...46?", the partner says.
"Yeah, that's what it is."
So I did what any decent citizen should do. I googled a 28-6-4-6 from my phone. I check Maricopa county and Tempe police statutes to no avail.
"Thank you." I turned to a woman and her husband. She said that there was no reason for us to be held here and she again thanked me. I thought about just razing the crowd and having everyone cross, but surely I would be arrested or ticket for something riot like then.
"Sir, according to your website, this is your website, right?" I held the phone to him. "According to your website, there is no 28-6-4-6. Do you have anything else that might hold me here?"
"I will ticket you for going against a traffic light."
"Sir, I am not traffic. I looked both ways and behind to make sure I wasn't going to get in the way of a right turn. If I was in my car, I would most certainly not try to cross against the light."
Then the other one said something about making sure we don't get hit by a train. The train was behind me. I inquired if the train would be derailing and sliding into the intersection I was about to cross anytime soon. At that point, the light turned to green.
"Do you see the little green man now?" That was the sarcastic first cop.
I looked at him and I said, "Well, I see a little man." Then I crossed.
Before anyone gets defensive about their cop husband or wife or self, please note, I was respectful until his last sarcastic comment. I didn't and still do not believe I was breaking any laws by crossing an empty street. I also think that this man wasn't stopping me for my own safety, but instead for an unconscious need to control. I think this is a perfect example of the state's control over the citizen. Our government is getting away with being voice for the people instead of the people being a voice for our government.
The people have grown complacent and lazy. This may be an innate human condition for most, but not me. I am tired of keeping my voice quiet while a small minority of people make the rules for a large majority and I am so tired of the majority's apathy. This country has reverted to the monarchy we were before we fought the British for our independence. The congress and the Senate are the new Parliament.
What are your issues? What would you like to see done in this country? I, for one, would like to see true equality. I would like to see the people running the government, not the other way around. I would like to see this war for oil ended and the war on pollution started in a big way. I would like to see mpg laws for cars and trucks raised so much that all new cars MUST use hybrid technology. I would like to see an honest government who doesn't take money in exchange for votes, in other words, I would like to see lobbying outlawed. I would like to see an intelligent community thinking about future implications of their right-now-wants. I would like to see a day when I couldn't be arrested and suspected of terrorism for writing this blog. Thank you, Patriot Act. I would like to see that the government cannot limit the use of the Internet. Here are two articles I found:
http://newsmax.com/Newsfront/obama-internet-fcc/2009/09/20/id/335106
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/09/net-neutrality-announcement/
I don't think all laws are bad. I want to have honesty and integrity upheld. I want the people, my friends, to remember that we are the voice! Start speaking!
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