Last year the Tobacco Taliban here in Iowa raised the cigarette taxes from 36 cents to $1.36. Just across the border in Missouri the tax is 17 cents. Because of the tax lots of people have become latter day John Hancocks, buying cigarettes in Missouri and bringing them into Iowa.

Last summer I had to bring some of my brother’s junk to his house just across the Missouri border. Since I was a little miffed at him I just dropped his stuff and turned for home, staying in Missouri less than ten minutes. As I reentered Iowa I was stopped by a state trooper who asked me if I was carrying Missouri cigarettes. I told him I was not. He then asked permission to search my Blazer, which I refused. He said he could get a warrant (yeah, fat chance of that.) By then I was getting riled so I responded with “Knock yourself out, I’ve got nothing to do the rest of the day!” He thought about it for a few seconds and responded with “Have a nice day sir, please move along.”

We all like to think of ourselves as rugged individualists. But when push comes to shove most of us are sheep who do what we are told. Worst of all, a lot of us become unpaid agents of whoever is controlling the agenda by enforcing the current dogma on the few rugged individualists who actually exist.