The Illusion of Authority

When I was younger, I had a friend whose family owned a black Labrador. The dog was young, strong, and full of energy. One afternoon, as I stood in their yard talking with my friend’s mother, the dog got excited; another dog was walking down the street. The Labrador would have none of that! He howled, barked, and charged toward the fence. But then he stopped. He knew he couldn’t go any further, so he jumped, again and again, barking and howling, never crossing the line.

Here’s what struck me: the dog was actually jumping higher than the fence. I turned to my friend’s mother and said, “Wow! Your dog is jumping higher than the fence! He could easily jump over it.”

She smiled. “I know that and you know that,” she answered, pointing at the dog. “But he doesn’t know that.”

That moment stuck with me. The fence didn’t have to be insurmountable; it just had to seem insurmountable. The illusion of confinement was stronger than any physical barrier.

And so it is with people and the power we give to our leaders. Too often, we assume they have more power than we do. We hesitate to challenge them, especially when they surround themselves in the trappings of authority, including military gear, uniforms, titles, and scripted language designed to make us feel small.

Today, the Internet is filled with videos of communities standing up to heavily armed federal agents, particularly ICE officers dressed in military-style gear. These agents wear helmets, body armor, and fatigues; their faces are covered, and their weapons are ready for action. It’s all meant to project dominance. The image is carefully constructed to intimidate.

But we, the people, are beginning to see through it.

I’m not calling for violence or chaos; I’m calling for clarity. If we believe we are powerless, then we will be powerless. But if we remember that, in America, we are the source of power, the illusion breaks.

My friend’s dog eventually realized he could jump the fence. And when he did, he discovered the freedom he never knew he had.

Like that dog, we are only confined as long as we refuse to challenge the boundaries set before us. True freedom waits for us on the other side.