Just announced! The San Francisco 49ers will play the 2022 season with NO rules.
Referees will be on the field, however, they will only drink coffee and blow their whistles when time has expired.
Of course, this is an April Fools pronouncement.
But just imagine if this were true. It would not only change the entire game, it would also create the same interest as last month’s newspaper.
From the time you were a kid, you learned there were rules. Parents and teachers were referees and they knew when to blow the whistle.
For generations, our communities and country thrived and survived primarily because the rule of law was in place. However, there was more. Violation of the rules brought a penalty. The more severe the violation determined the retribution. It was just like football with penalties from five up to fifteen yards.
What happened?
COVID was a convenient excuse to open the jails and release all the perpetrators from the rules. District attorneys like Jeff Rosen went limp. Police were mocked. Politics became polluted. The rule of law fell victim to individual decisions to operate free of conscience, concern, or criminal acts.
It’s almost like living in looney land if it weren’t so ridiculous, damaging and destructive.
Imagine football rules that say, “Ball carrier can’t be tackled until he has run untouched for at least five yards, or a pass receiver can’t be tackled until he has the ball firmly in his hands.”
Yet that is what we have done to a basic rule of law that has made society work for generations. We have now legalized theft. Is not theft at any amount still theft?
The California legislature passed nearly 900 bills last year. Not one of them addressed, amended or limited the lunacy of Proposition 47 which has made wrong, right. Theft is now made “legal” up to $950. Therefore, if Johnny steals a new racing bike worth $900, it is now his.
So much for representatives of, by and for the people.
This freedom to steal is what has been gifted to the bad guys and gals on the street. Stripping our stores, ripping out inventory and walking away without reprisal.
The smash and grab gangs are running rampant, laughing at the “law” all the way to their garage.
Maybe those 900 bills in Sacramento had value to someone. However, representatives ignoring the obvious need for law and enforcement will haunt, hurt and hinder our society.
As we have been told many times and noted here, “For evil to prevail, good people need do nothing.”
Santa Clara has five City officials bringing sanity back to City Hall. Congratulations to the Santa Clara City Council for bringing Rajeev Batra back as interim City Manager. Batra served Santa Clara for 15 years with vision, energy, talent and integrity as former Director of Public Works. Welcome back Rajeev. The ball is now in your hands.