Fair and Unfair

I watch Mexico tightening up, it is a long way from being like America, but none the less, you can feel and observes certain parts tagging along behind in some sort of imitation that is too close for comfort. It seems a country, in order to work the money flow from the bottom moving to the top must organize all precisely, so that none drifts off. When systems don’t work, it makes it harder for the rich to get richer, for the government to take advantage of the working and poor class. So, calling it modern and progressive these systems are now being made to adhere to. There is some good and some bad about this happening. The government should have more money to spend on its people, for improvement of its country, if hopefully they are honest enough to do that. The bad side is, that it leaves no room to wiggle. By that I mean, it becomes its own trap. Rules and laws should be guidelines not absolutes to be abided by, fair and unfair is what counts. There are too many outside situations. This is where the poor get stung, sometimes life keeps them from being able to conform. So instead of punishing them for it and pushing them further into problems, the laws and rules should sway and accommodate these people.

Here is an example. It is the time of year here what we call The License Plate Police are out in their special marked cars to stop people whose tags are due. Every year this effort gets stronger. They have set up a relatively new system were if you let your license plate expire, you get a fine. But right now still, many even years behind do not get fined yet, only when they pay up and enter the new system.

This week my husband was stopped by these type of police, they suddenly came out of nowhere and were behind him with their small yellow flashing light. The van he was in had not been updated for more than several years, it just got put off somehow, probably not the money and the inspiration to do it at the same time. The policeman filled out a form and had him sign it. He didn’t have his drivers license with him, he had forgotten and left it in another car. And the van is registered in a friends name, so it was a little slower than usual with the confusion. Maybe ten minutes. Both police really admired our dogs and we had to get one out to show it off. They gave him instructions how to find the new DMV office just built and what times the line was the smallest. There was no extra late charges, but there will be next time if we are late again. All shook hands and thank yous and left.

Here in the neighborhoods there are many cars that have very old plates or California plates, or none, which technically are not allowed. But here we call them, Around Town Cars. You don’t go out on the main highway with them, you just stick around close. The local police pay no attention to these. Who really cares, it is not like it is a harmful crime, if you cant afford tags, or sometimes the paperwork makes it almost impossible or to expensive. These people, the poor, need to take children to school, a nearby job, grocery shopping, seeing family, or using the car to make the rounds selling things. Just let things be, and don’t interfere with the process of survival. But, as I said, this is not a money making situation that will flow up to other levels, it just benefits the poor. The rich want to squeeze them for anything they can and make their systems work to their full capacity, not satisfied with what they do get already.

And now, another example, to show the other extreme. America, Oklahoma, a Sunday afternoon. My husband and I were 3 weeks into an experiment to see if we could live on the family farm. A ride to town for an ice cream cone and the scenery. As we drove thru a small town an off duty cop in his family car pulled the truck over. He asked the routine questions and realized we were over the time to have the license plate changed over since we were going to live there. This is illegal and cannot be accepted or tolerated. Where would America be if it let its people break such laws? So, the end result occurred. The sheriff came out in his squad car, the fire chief stopped in his and the city tow truck arrived, and several spectators. The truck hauled off to the impound, my husband to jail and me left along side the road with my dog, 3 water barrels, and a big box of tools. And then ensued the threats to shoot my pit bull right on the spot. Justice was served, but not before I pointed out to the crowd, which was the worse crime, what they did, or what we did. But they did not get the point and all drove off leaving me scared half to death and no idea how to get home or my husband back. Not to mention the price for our sins against their rules.

I so hope the world never becomes one big America.