Fear of the government in old-time Phoenix


The longer I live the more I understand why elderly people live with so much fear - they know stuff. It's a dangerous world out there, and the longer you live, the more you learn. Back when I was a kid the sight of a fire truck going by was just thrilling, when I grew up I came to realize that it meant that someone was having a very bad day, it was an emergency. Ignorance is bliss!

That being said, I also believe that with knowledge comes power, and I've found it comforting to learn about things in order to allay my fears of them. Of course government studies is something that I've included in my education - like knowing traffic laws, paying my income taxes, the penalty for robbing a liquor store, etc. I can't say that I'm a man who knows no fear, but I don't fear my Homeowner's Association.

I've never worked for the government, unless you include a few years teaching part-time at my local Community College, so I'm no expert on people who work in government. And while I have great affection for the people like that that I've met, they've never given me the impression of being some kind of masterminds. Like the hard-working people at the Post Office, I just see them doing the best they can. And yes, I have the same attitude towards police officers, the mayor of my city (Hi Jerry!), and so on.

My best guess about the beginnings of people's fear of government starts with school. I was lucky, I did well in school, and don't recall getting a dirty look from teachers. The principal was never my "pal" (that's how I learned to spell it, by the way), he (or was it a she?) was just someone who sat in an office somewhere. Like the Dean of my college, I assume that the job was mostly to sign my diploma. As you can see, I rarely gave these people any thought.

When I lived in Los Angeles, in a, ahem, "less than fashionable" suburb, I know that there were a lot of my neighbors there who feared the government. Some of them, of course, were simply criminals, but many of them were persons of color, and the government, including the police, have not been very good to them. But make no mistake, there were people there who looked just like me (white guys) who had a severe fear of the government. I was wise enough to respect the LAPD, but I also knew where the closest doughnut shop was in case I needed there help. I'm not kidding here, I had no idea where the police station, but there were ALWAYS cops at the doughnut shop in LA in the 1980s. I wonder if that's still true?

Anyway, as usual these kinds of things make me wonder about the fear of the government in old-time Phoenix. And another thing that I'm learning as I ease into my golden years is that nothing really changes. So let's time-travel back to Phoenix in 1895 and talk a bit to my friend Jedidiah. I'll be Zeke.

"Howdy Jed!"

"Howdy there, Zeke! Have you heard the latest bit of nonsense from the Mayor? I declare, he's gone and done it again. I'm a'feared for the safety of my domicile!"

"What's that, Jed? Are you a-fixing to skee-daddle?"

"That's about what it amounts to! I declare, if it's not one thing, it's another! They're coming after my place, which they're a-callin' a "brush shanty". I'm fierce proud of my place, made with my own hands of the very finest weeds, straw, hay, and tree branches I could find."

"I suppose you'll have to tear it down, Jed! I already tore mine down. Actually some stray dogs did most of the work. I sure don't have $180.00 to pay the fine and I don't want to go jail."

"Dag nab it, Zeke! It's the principle of the thing. Always pushing us law-abiding folks around. I don't know what they'll be doing next, maybe making us pay to pave the roads someday! I'm leavin'! Phoenix ain't a fit place to live in anymore!"
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