The Pearly Gates and other pearls

Larry M. Jones

Gates have long been an integral part of our lives even long before Bill Gates, the world’s richest nerd, came on the scene. I would have to assume that among the first written descriptions of gates would have to come from the Book of Revelation where the 12 pearly gates to the Holy City of Jerusalem are described in great detail.

Popular culture depicts the Pearly Gates as the passage through which a person must pass to enter heaven. Based on scripture in the Book of Matthew, this depiction portrays Saint Peter as “the keeper of the keys,” with God’s authority to determine whether one is admitted or denied entry. His mythical role as the guardian of the gates is widely used in cartoons, jokes and dramatic productions. The man with the keys plays a powerful role, indeed.

Perhaps this perception of power, the right to exercise ultimate control over who enters and who is turned away, is the rationale behind the modern day obsession to live behind gates. Everywhere we look today, there are either gated communities for the urban affluent, or an infinite assortment of expensive electric, nuclear or solar powered remote controlled gated entrances out in the rural areas. There may be an intercom system, underground irrigation systems for the landscaping and an entryway that cost more to build than my house. “Pearly” opulence and control by “the man” with the code.

I’ve seen just about every kind of gate imaginable over the years. As a kid, about 98 percent of the gates I saw were merely made from barbed wire — a staff you stuck in a hoop at the bottom and a bail at the top. Invariably, the stretch posts on either side would shift a bit and cause the gate to be too tight to be opened by women and kids, who were the primary gate openers. Around a farm or ranch you learn very early in life that the driver and whoever sits in the middle doesn’t normally open the gate. Whoever is riding “shotgun” or is in the back of the pickup gets stuck with gate duty.

By the 1960s, a few honest to goodness “store-bought” gates began to crop up. A company over in Mineral Wells started making the “Lifetime” metal panel gates. These, along with the hollow tubing gates, are still commonplace and quite functional. It was also during this time frame that farmers and ranchers routinely began to own welding equipment, so they could fabricate gates from pipe, square tubing or anything else lying around the shop or scrap pile.

When my wife and I first married, often in the evening or early morning I would suggest that we drive down to the river on the four-wheeler to check on the cattle, or drive over to the east “forty” to see if the coastal hay crop needed to be cut and baled. She thought this was so romantic, until she finally figured it out that the primary purpose for her invite was to open gates. Not a good day when reality finally soaked in ...

I view it is as a shame our culture has developed the “gated community” mentality — having to live our lives behind locked doors/gates. Why do we elect to cower in our “corners” like trapped rats rather than enjoy the freedom and openness of earlier times with unlocked doors and open driveways? Freedom from fear is an inalienable right that, like many other rights in America, must not be compromised. Our overly tolerant legal and social structure has, in recent decades, destroyed these rights of honest citizens in favor of creating undeserved rights for the lazy, irresponsible and criminal elements within our society.

It is a travesty that we must build walls around our nation, cities and homes to protect our way of life when we have the military might and civilian law enforcement agencies to interdict the forces that threaten us. Why do we restrain our agencies to the point of rendering them ineffective? This requires us to circle the wagons and be fearful of dangers to our lives and possessions.

As for me, I refuse to succumb to this pathetic way of life. If you visit my house, the gate will not be locked — just leave it like you found it.

Larry M. Jones is a retired Navy Commander and aviator who raises cattle and hay in the Brock/Lazy Bend part of Parker County. Comments may be directed to larrj2@airmail.net. Columns submitted to The Weatherford Democrat by guest writers reflect the opinions of the writer and in no way reflect the beliefs or opinions of The Weatherford Democrat.