Monday, January 08, 2007
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
This week the Militant Moderate received a telephone call with a recorded message from a congressman in another state. The call was terminated shortly after its purpose was announced to be "to stop abortion on demand."
There is something repugnant about the twisting of language to give the subject a bad connotation, whether deserved or not. This is similar to using the term "death tax" for the inheritance tax, or use of the language "government schools" in a disparaging tone to speak of public schools, recognized since Jefferson as the foundation of democracy. Teachers and other public servants, most of which are underpaid but serve admirably, are often depicted as "tax hogs" or "feeding at the public trough." Some insult public workers as "never having held down a real job."
This disparaging language comes from ignorant or prejudiced people -- or those who just do not want to pay taxes. They want government services, but they don't want to pay. The nation is running huge deficits because of foolish tax cuts and reckless expenditures.
Strangely enough, some of the same people who do not want government regulation (or taxation) of their businesses to protect workers, consumers, or the environment are the same ones who are advocating government interference in personal and family affairs. Some things are government business, and some things are not. We need to get these properly sorted out.
The government needs to regulate drugs and the food supply. The government needs to build roads and to protect the environment. The government must referee the adversarial relations of workers and companies. The government must regulate air traffic, imports, and immigration. The masses of the nation must be educated at public expense. Government must protect the public from any rapacious conduct of corporations, and stockholders from the greed of managers.
The government must levy and collect taxes to pay for its services.
The government is prohibited from establishing a religion or interfering with religious freedom. Therefore, it is inappropriate for any religion, or religious coalition, to try to take over government and enact its religious tenets into law for the country. It is inappropriate, and should remain illegal, for a group of religiously zealous citizens to take away the personal liberties of other American citizens.
Some things are personal business, and not government business. Personal freedom has been one of the wonderful notions upon which America was founded and upon which it has thrived. We must keep government from intruding into matters of personal and religious freedom.
Each of us must continue to worship in accordance with the dictates of our own conscience. We must retain the freedom to make personal decisions based upon our own conscience and religious beliefs. Individual rights must be protected from religious usurpers, who want to write their own beliefs into law for all of us.
Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate
There is something repugnant about the twisting of language to give the subject a bad connotation, whether deserved or not. This is similar to using the term "death tax" for the inheritance tax, or use of the language "government schools" in a disparaging tone to speak of public schools, recognized since Jefferson as the foundation of democracy. Teachers and other public servants, most of which are underpaid but serve admirably, are often depicted as "tax hogs" or "feeding at the public trough." Some insult public workers as "never having held down a real job."
This disparaging language comes from ignorant or prejudiced people -- or those who just do not want to pay taxes. They want government services, but they don't want to pay. The nation is running huge deficits because of foolish tax cuts and reckless expenditures.
Strangely enough, some of the same people who do not want government regulation (or taxation) of their businesses to protect workers, consumers, or the environment are the same ones who are advocating government interference in personal and family affairs. Some things are government business, and some things are not. We need to get these properly sorted out.
The government needs to regulate drugs and the food supply. The government needs to build roads and to protect the environment. The government must referee the adversarial relations of workers and companies. The government must regulate air traffic, imports, and immigration. The masses of the nation must be educated at public expense. Government must protect the public from any rapacious conduct of corporations, and stockholders from the greed of managers.
The government must levy and collect taxes to pay for its services.
The government is prohibited from establishing a religion or interfering with religious freedom. Therefore, it is inappropriate for any religion, or religious coalition, to try to take over government and enact its religious tenets into law for the country. It is inappropriate, and should remain illegal, for a group of religiously zealous citizens to take away the personal liberties of other American citizens.
Some things are personal business, and not government business. Personal freedom has been one of the wonderful notions upon which America was founded and upon which it has thrived. We must keep government from intruding into matters of personal and religious freedom.
Each of us must continue to worship in accordance with the dictates of our own conscience. We must retain the freedom to make personal decisions based upon our own conscience and religious beliefs. Individual rights must be protected from religious usurpers, who want to write their own beliefs into law for all of us.
Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate
