Whenever someone says "absolute power" I think of Elliot's brother doing a Yoda impression in E.T. Complete with that smug, little Yoda laugh at the end. Judge me if you want, I was born in the eighties.

Absolute government power was one reason America was formed. In fact it was the central reason of America's founding. It's why the Constitution was written: To protect the free people from a powerful, tyrannical government. The Founding Fathers knew people in power would use that power to crush their enemies, to oppress their people, to reward their friends. They were students of human nature and sought to entrust the power of the government in the hands of the people. A worthy endeavor. They focused more on keeping people free than they did on hair styles.

Let's make something clear: government tyranny didn't start with Obama. It didn't start with Bush, or Clinton. Not even Carter. If we had to pick a precise moment with government took one small step for man and one giant leap into our lives, we'd have to skip much farther back into our country's past. But pinpointing the genesis will not stop the current tyranny.

Truth is, we're living under a tyrannical government now, we can see it in our daily news stories. You're probably nodding along. Possibly rolling your eyes at me. Duh, tell me something I don't know. Okay, I've never seen A Christmas Story. I know that makes me a horrible person. But you asked.

Look no further than the past week to see a dreadful contrast of misplaced justice. On the one hand you have David Daleiden, who used investigative journalistic techniques in exposing Planned Parenthood (a government-funded organization which is best known for murdering children). In a swift example of injustice, rather than a grand jury finding fault with the slaughter and dismemberment of unborn children, the jury indicted Daleiden and partner Sandra Meritt. For using false IDs. Contrast their case with Secretary Hillary Clinton, who, among other things, is responsible for the death of four Americans in Benghazi, the cover up of dozens of sexual assault scandals her husband (ALLEGEDLY) committed, and more recently, keeping a secret, illegal server. Which held classified information. The details of which are still being withheld. Because the information on her server was double, secret, super classified. It never should've been on a private server. Like, ever.

She's running for president.

Put it this way, if you had taken George Washington out for a pint, then told him about Hillary Clinton, he would've laughed his wooden teeth out. Not sure which is more disturbing, President Washington's teeth on a bar, or Hillary Clinton's face.

But that's just one example. There's also the IRS, which actively targeted Tea Party organizations and Conservative non-profits. The people responsible? Are they in prison? Don't be daft.

You know who did go to jail? Kim Davis, who didn't want to give some gay couples a wedding license. Got that? You don't issue a gay marriage license: jail. Yes, yes I know it's a little more complicated than that, but the over-arching theme here is the same. Headline corruption as you lead the government's revenue collection agency, which takes people's money? Maybe a leave of absence. VACATION! Stand up against the government in any way, shape or form? Now your some cell-mate's cuddle buddy. How's that for "rape culture"?

Sure, some of you reading this are glad to see Kim Davis get hauled off in cuffs. I don't necessarily blame you. She wasn't the most likable gal. Some of you are also no doubt glad to see the Planned Parenthood stingers facing jail-time. Okay, I can get it. Some of you are also glad to see that more right-leaning organizations are being target by the IRS. You're a horrible person. I get it.

Hell, some of you Conservatives may even be thinking it's time to elect a President who will do the exact same thing, only for your side. The problem is that you have it perfectly wrong. See, regardless of your personal opinions on these specific cases, the macro-point remains the same: If an all-powerful government can be used against the dissidents you don't like, it can just as easily be used against you. You need look no further than Germany in the 1930's or even... Germany today. I know, I know, the Germans never get it right.

Tyranny doesn't occur with a blast. It creeps in, inch by inch, step by step, until suddenly you find yourself with an entire generation who's not only embraced it, but doesn't even know how to live without it.

Which brings us back to our modern state of political life. Enemies of the state are hauled off in cuffs, who forever have to keep a tight hold of their soap. Friends of the state wipe their email servers, go on vacation, or run for public office. Maybe the White House. Tyranny makes distinctions based on party line or ideology, not on the law. There should be no difference in how the law is applied, whether against a "lovable" personality helming corruption, or the frousey woman in a county office. The law should be blind.

Alas, we know it is not. For years the American people have missed the burning forest for a lone weed they find annoying. They feel the weed deserves being plucked from the ground just because they deem it a weed. But if the man (or woman) pulling it ignores those weeds he finds pleasing, who choke out the others he does not, pretty soon you'll have a garden overrun, incapable of hosting a nutritious crop.

Welcome to America, a once fertile ground of freedom filled with government corruption in the form of tyranny. If the country is to be saved, we have to get back to our basic roots, nurtured by freedom.

And maybe eat more meat.

~Written by Courtney Kirchoff