Somebody famous said this, I’m sure of it. I just can’t remember who. Nevertheless, it came to my mind this morning as I was catching up on the news. In particular, the familiar story out of Minneapolis involving yet another black man getting shot and killed by a police officer. What’s the deal with Minneapolis? Anyway, as tragic as this shooting is, I will not here adjudicate the case. It’s too early and too much is unknown. However, I would like to discuss one aspect of the case which I, as someone with Libertarian leanings finds appalling. Mr. Daunte Wright, age 20, would still be alive right now if not for the state law of Minnesota which makes the hanging of an air-freshener from the rear view mirror of a vehicle...illegal.
That’s correct. The politicians of the Land of Lakes decided at some point to pass a law making that new car smell against the law. Someone, somewhere in the government of the State of Minnesota thought that air-fresheners hanging from rear view windows posed some sort of public safety risk, a risk that the people of Minnesota needed legislative remedy to mitigate. This, ladies and gentlemen, is why I so detest governments. It is one thing to be a nation of laws. It’s entirely another to be a nation drowning in laws. This Air-Freshener Protection Act is the perfect encapsulation of why all legislatures should be part-time. Of course, the fact that police would actually pull someone over for a potential violation of such an absurd law is another question with only troubling answers. But let’s not take our eye off the ball here...somebody, somewhere thought this a worthy new addition to the legal code of the State of Minnesota. I have no idea how many laws there are on the books up there but the 2020 Minnesota Statutes guide is 648 pages long, so its somewhere in there. Ignorance of the law might be no excuse, but I say that knowledge of the law is nearly impossible anymore.
Here’s another thing to contemplate. A week or so ago I ran across one of those message board signs people use on the side of the road to advertise something or to put jokes on and whatnot. Can’t remember where I found it, but the message was stunning in its simplicity:
Leave it to the Canadians to post something this great. Many of you upon reading this for the first time and noticing the Canadian origins might have thought that this was about immigration policy. Maybe it is. I saw it differently though. I saw it as a message to individuals, to you and me. I’ve noticed something in my 38 years in the financial planning business. Many times, as people become more and more successful and financially secure they tend to drift towards greater isolation. Gated communities. Exclusive, members-only enclaves. Bigger homes, more land, more privacy. More and more attractive...fences. But how great would it be if wealth had the opposite effect? What if with great prosperity came a greater desire to help those still trying to find their way? What if we all built longer tables? What an amazing thought. But then it dawns on me that I’ve already seen this in action...all my life actually. This is how I grew up. In the house where Emmett and Betty Dunnevant lived there was always an extra plate set for someone. My parents, who never once in their entire lives made more than $45,000 in a year somehow found the resources to feed a long line of troubled people who happened to fall into their sphere of influence. No questions asked, just, “Sit down brother. You look like you could use a good meal.”
I have tried all of my life to follow their example of generosity. When I have it has been the most rewarding times of my life. When I have failed, when I have clung too tightly to what’s mine, I have grown restless and uneasy. Let’s all find a way to build a longer table.
Thanks, Mom and Dad.
And thanks, Canada.
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