The Cupped Hands Analogy

The next time you're in the shower, bath, or even just washing your hands, try the following. Holding your two hands together, try and hold as much water as you can without it spilling or dripping.

As you do this, notice how you have to hold your hands to hold the maximum amount. You can't hold your hands too loosely, as water will spill out, and you can only hold a little. But neither can you hold them too tight – you can't hold water inside a closed fist. Less even than an open hand can hold. Also notice that no matter how well you manage to seal your hands and hold water, a tiny bit always manages to seep out of your hands.

Now imagine that the water is a society, with each individual molecule of water being a person.

Government is like your cupped hands.

Held loosely, government can only hold only a few together in a society, such as a clan or a tribe. Held too tightly, it holds few together as people resist, and throw off the choke hold of oppression. But held just right, it can hold together a lot of people. And just like water, held just right, there will always be a few who slip through the cracks. It is unfortunate, but it is a part of life.

While I believe highly in the value of personal liberty and freedom, I am also smart enough to know that in this crowded world, government is a necessity. It acts as the social lubricant between neighbors, it enables the building of the physical infrastructure that makes modern society possible. Without it, we would have utter chaos and anarchy.

I believe the framers of our Constitution of this United States did a pretty good job of putting together a form of government that doesn't hold too loosely or too tightly. Sure, it has it's flaws, and it lets a few slip through the cracks, but for the most part, it has historically been a pretty balanced government.

Throughout our history, there have always been those who would try and close the hands of the United States government too tightly around the water of it's people. Every time they've tried, we've made made waves, and they have backed off.

We are at another of those crossroads. Those currently in control of government are now trying to close their hands about us, “for our safety.” Many are in opposition to this, and making waves.

This is a time in this country where every suggestion by an elected official needs to be examined by the populous not with the attitude of “is this reasonable?” and in isolation from their other suggestions and laws, but with an eye to the complete whole, and the attitude of “are the hands of government getting too tight?” It is time to stop worrying about the little bit of unfortunate water that is seeping between the hands, and time to start worrying how much chaos will ensue if the hands close too tightly.

We can no longer afford to look at the little details in isolation. It is time that we start looking at the whole picture, at what every new government proposal really means to the future of our country.