WorldWide Drilling Resource

36 SEPTEMBER 2019 The Un-Comfort Zone II by Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. You Deserve this, but You’ll have to Fight for it It was my second speeding ticket in two days. Working as a traveling salesman, I was driving from Georgia to South Carolina. I had planned to reach my destination with time to spare by setting my cruise control and driving the speed limit. When I explained to the patrol officer it was the second time I was pulled over for driving ten miles over the limit and I left my car running so he could look at the dashboard to see I wasn’t lying, he refused to look, saying his radar gun showed I was speeding and I could appear in court if I wanted to argue it. I determined there must be a problem with either my car’s speedometer or cruise control system, so I took it to a mechanic who special- ized in speedometer cal ibrat ion. After his examination of my car, the mechanic provided me with a notarized Speedometer Calibration Certificate . I went all the way back to South Carolina with the certification so the judge could see the evidence. I told the judge in detail about my setting the cruise control to 55 miles per hour, and according to the speedometer examination, my car was off by five miles per hour. Consequently, I was unknowingly and unintentionally driving 60 miles per hour. I explained I only broke the law by accident and had since rectified the situation, so I would like to be found not guilty. Without hesitation he replied, “So you just admitted to driving five miles an hour over the speed limit. That’s still speeding. We’ll split the difference and only charge you half the fine. Guilty. Next case.” My jaw dropped, and in that moment - 30 years ago - I realized there was no justice to be had in that court; their only goal was revenue collection. The concept of justice has been on my mind quite a bit lately. It’s something which has been important to me most of my life. I remember standing up and put- ting my hand over my heart every morning when I was in school to recite the Pledge of Allegiance . But it was the final phrase that really resonated with me: with liberty and justice for all. I was living in a nation which stood for justice - for every- one! I believe those words were so meaningful to me because I had been bullied as a child. As a result, I have had a great deal of empathy for people who have been bullied. Not just kids, but anyone who is beaten down or taken advantage of by someone who has power over them, whether it is physical strength, wealth, or the law. I was proud of my country for representing this virtue, but now I’m not so sure it does. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines justice as the quality of being just, impartial, or fair (it defines just as being what is merited: deserved). I have always thought of justice as simply as everyone playing by the same rules. Today, we have corporations which pay pol iticians to write laws favoring them. Government taxes us on so many things it threatens our very survival. We have a private banking system which is able to rob us by inflating our currency. Civil Forfeiture laws allow municipalities to steal property from people without due process of law. The U.S. Supreme Court reinterpreted the Constitution to allow municipalities to steal land through eminent domain for private purposes. Police brutalize citizens with impunity. People are jailed for consuming certain plants. I could go on, but it seems if you are rich enough and powerful enough, the rules don’t apply to you. When the New & Used Bits, HDD Bits & Tools, Drag Bits & Wings, Bolt-On Drag Bits, Reverse Circulation Tools, Hole Openers, Claw Bits, Stabilizers, Subs, Custom Tooling & Welding, Hammer Bits, Drill Collars, Pipe Wipers, and Drill Pipe. Office: (661) 834-4348 Rod Henderson / Eran Henderson 661-201-6259 • 661-330-0790 sales@bitcobits.com www.bitcoinc.us Atlantis Vault • Self-Contained • Simple installation • Trouble-free operation For more information call: (270) 786-3010 or visit us online: www.geothermalsupply.com “There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” ~Eli Weasel “Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.” ~Benjamin Franklin I have really enjoyed, and di- gested information, for the years it has come to my house. I turn first to Tim Rasmussen for an update. Thank you again for an interesting and informative publication. Robert McDowell, Jr. Broken Arrow, OK WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Wilson cont’d on page 44.