Tyranny, conformity, risk and change are strong words. I imagine the men with powdered ponytails and short pants understood them all too well.

They could and would no longer conform to tyranny and were willing to risk all for change.

“We The People” are past the polite orderly chance for change. I hear people everywhere talk about all that needs changed, and I agree. But talk is cheap.

Are you going to conform to the tyranny or are you willing to risk your home, car, smartphone, cable TV and 401(k) plan to challenge it?

We can’t have it both ways. Kind of scary, huh? Too bad. We let it get this way, and if it’s going to change, it may well cost us all everything we have.

At the federal level, there are 327,127,513 (plus or minus) of us and just 537 of them, counting the president and the vice president. That breaks down to 601,721 to 1. I’d say we have them outnumbered.

If the rules and standards are wrong, don’t abide them. Just because the politicians have found a use for them doesn’t mean they are in our best interest. And if each one of us does one thing a day to ignore government, it won’t take too long to get something reasonable back.

They ain’t gonna like it, and there will be lots of strong talk – and possibly action – but we here now deserve it, and those coming along certainly do.

Closer to home, La Plata County has a “land use” plan in the works, and it’s outrageously oppressive.

The time for disobedience is upon us. This is not happening in Washington, D.C., it’s happening here, where your homes, farms and ranches are. I urge you all to get involved and say no to oppressive county government.

If they want a fight, let them bring it. We’ll all gather at your gate and wait for them. And they better pack a lunch.

Together we can repel the tide of tyranny.

Watch yore topknot ...

Tom James of Ignacio was riding horses before he could walk. Reach him at outlivedthemallsofar@gmail.com.