VIEWPOINTS: Tax protests aimed at real issues that affect us all
Comments 0
April 18, 2009 09:00:00 AM
In response to "Tax protests were fake outrage being aimed at invisible issues" (op-ed, April 16): The April 15 Tea Parties, in which I proudly participated, were not led by Hannity, Limbaugh, Beck or any other talk radio/Fox News personalities. These were grass-roots efforts, started locally by people who are fed up with the federal government overstepping its constitutional powers, spending our tax dollars and mortgaging our children's/grandchildren's futures bailing out private industries that should be allowed to fail like any other business that does not provide goods or services that people want or need. Fox News simply chose to cover them, while the other networks either ignored or ridiculed them.
I am not opposed to taxes; the government needs money to perform its essential functions. However, propping up failing industries is not an essential function of government. I challenge anyone to cite the article and section of the U.S. Constitution that empowers the federal government to do this. And don't try the old "general welfare" statement in Article I Section 8, either. As James Madison, primary author and widely regarded "father" of the Constitution stated: "If Congress can do whatever in their discretion can be done by money, and will promote the General Welfare, the Government is no longer a limited one, possessing enumerated powers, but an indefinite one, subject to particular exceptions."
As for Kelly Miller's statement about wasting our money on military operations and hardware, the Constitution does specifically authorize these expenditures in Article I, Section 8. I agree that Bush and Cheney did waste our money and trample on the Constitution. They are not "my heroes." I left the Republican Party long ago when it became the party of big government after Republicans took control, first of Congress and then the White House. In fact, I resent the Republicans of today who are complaining about big government and preaching fiscal conservatism now that they are on the outside looking in.
Both mainstream parties own this problem and putting the Republicans back in power will not solve it. We need to get behind a viable third party, which in my opinion the Libertarian Party is striving to become. Libertarians believe in fiscal conservatism and limited, constitutional government like the Republicans claim to champion. We also favor individual freedom to live our lives as we choose as long as we don't interfere with anyone else's right to do the same, which the Democrats claim to favor.
The reality is, all any of them want is to get re-elected and keep their hold on to the reins of power. Put simply, the Democrats want to reach into my wallet and decide how much money I should have, and the Republicans want to peek in my bedroom window and decide how much fun I should have.
So, what's the answer? A good first step would be for the state Legislature to adopt a resolution to be sent to the federal government informing them of the state's decision to assert our rights under the 10th Amendment to the Constitution. Then we need to stop blindly following the donkeys and the elephants and get behind Lady Liberty.
RICHARD A. CAISSE
Panama City
l l l
I am compelled to respond to Kelly Miller's op-ed "Tax protests were fake outrage being aimed at invisible issues" (April 16).
As a libertarian, I attended the Tea Party Tax Day protest on April 15 on Sherman Avenue with the rest of the Bay County libertarians.
Tea Parties were actually spawned by CNBC's Rick Santelli when he was ranting on the floor of the stock exchange that it was time for another Boston Tea Party. Some grass-roots people responded and it went viral on the Internet. I was reading about these gatherings long before Fox News jumped onboard.
Why is it socialists/progressives can't seem to wrap their heads around the fact that American patriots - the folks - can organize and rally without the leadership of media talking heads? We have the power of the Internet now, and just as in the Ron Paul Revolution, we keep in touch through meet-ups, social networking sites like Ning.com, Facebook and yes, even conservatives "Tweet."
I am grateful that Fox News picked up on the movement and ran with it. Besides, there has been a paradigm shift on Fox News lately toward libertarianism with new converts Glenn Beck and Judge Andrew Napolitano. We have Neal Boortz on talk radio and our own Burnie Thompson, who is always championing libertarian ideas - like a return to the Constitution.
The MSM scoffed at us, belittled us and even linked our Tea Party movement to sexual acts that I won't mention here. Who needs them? I was disappointed that even our local TV stations minimized the grass-roots Tea Party efforts.
The Tea Party tax protest was clearly a non-partisan gathering of angry patriots who are fed up with big government from both sides of the fence, insane spending and a move to socialism. We want our Constitution back as the framers intended it: limited government, sound money, non-interventionism but strong defense, and fiscal responsibility.
Samuel Adams said, "It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting the brushfires of freedom in the minds of men."
I was so proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with so many patriots on Tax Day - we are all Americans! Won't you join us?
SUZANNE MCDOWELL
Panama City
No comments:
Post a Comment