British philosopher John Locke, whose ideas were deeply imbedded into the American cause and outcome, said "every man has a property in his own person. This nobody has a right to, but himself."

That is a concept that our country was built upon and one that has built our country. Yet today it stands threatened by a government we have allowed to become as disruptive to our core values as a disobedient child, while we stand by shaking our heads in despair, as if powerless.

Take the case of Jim Anderer, the owner of Island Jeep on Moutauk Highway in Lindenhurst. In business for 40 years, Mr. Anderer is being forced to close his doors. It's not because he could not compete in a free economy or that he lost the support of consumers. It's not because he's retiring or moving to another location. He is losing his business because the government controlled Chrysler Corporation is taking it away from him, quickly, absolutely and without justification or explanation.

Folks, that's what happens when government is permitted by the peo ple it serves to put its grubby, greasy and power-hungry hands too far into our lives, our pocketbooks, and our efforts.

We've allowed it to happen. Faced with an historical financial crisis and a sagging economy, we too quickly looked to government and allowed it to pat us on our heads like frightened children. We too willingly gave up freedom and inalienable rights in exchange for some immediate sense of false security. In the end, however, we stand to lose both unless we stand up and shout "enough."

Theproblem with more government control over our economy, our lives and our futures is that we become victims to bureaucracy and the intricate, unexplainable and convoluted regulations that surround it. Our daily lives will be like living at a Motor Vehicle office.

There is enough evidence to refute the blind confidence we have placed in government as a cure all of our problems. Look at the massive Social Security program, which is going bankrupt; look at the Medicaid and Medicare programs that are bloated, inefficient and open to massive corruption. Think of how inefficientand costly they are, and try to find the reason and common sense behind them. It's as difficult to as rationalizing the decision to shut down Island Jeep. A spokesman for the government controlled Chrysler Corporation acknowledged that when asked how the decision to close that company down as made. No comment, she said.

We need, as a country and as individual citizens, to understand that every power afforded government is a right taken from us. Government is vital to protecting our security, cleaning our streets, picking up our garbage and ensuring the free flow of trade and commerce. We need government to operate our military, our courts and our law enforcement systems. When we allow it to do much more, we pay the price with our freedom.