I may be one of the last patriots left in
the United States of America. Every day, I see more and more attacks on the
country I grew up in. Every day, the hatred for our government grows and
poisonous vitriol against our nation can be heard throughout the media. These
attacks don’t come from sinister terrorist cells in foreign lands, they are not
the residue from our now-defunct Cold War with the Soviet Union, they come from
my fellow citizens. It turns out the rabid, Republican Senator in the Fifties,
Joe McCarthy, was right. There was an organization dedicated to destroying the
United States but it wasn’t the Communists that he so loudly spoke against. In
what is the greatest political irony of all time, the enemy turned out to be
his own political party.
Ever since the New Deal, the Republicans,
and the monied interests they actually represent, have carried out an
80-year-old propaganda campaign to convince the American public that our
government is evil, corrupt, inefficient, wasteful, oppressive, and unnecessary.
With increasing fervor, these forces of hatred
attack the very foundations of our Democracy and try to tear down those working
on the public’s behalf. Almost every day, I defend the country from those who
would deprive it of income, eliminate the services it provides and criticize the
people who work in the public’s behalf.
I love America. I am blessed that I grew
up in a nation that is dedicated to preserving the Democratic ideal, where
politics and religion can be discussed openly without fear of retribution.
Where leaders can be replaced if they no longer serve the public’s interest.
Where people have the opportunity to advance their position if they are willing
to apply themselves.
I love the fact that I live in a nation
that openly devotes itself to the “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”
of its citizens. A nation that understands the importance of caring for ALL of
its citizens, not just the rich ones. A nation that provides a social safety
net to provide for those who cannot care for themselves. A nation that
understands the value of education and tries to provide educational opportunity
to all who seek it, regardless of cost.
As we approach the income tax filing
deadline, we will hear a renewed chorus of complaints from Conservatives, who
selfishly whine about having to pay their taxes and long for a day when the
government is so small it can be “drowned in the bathtub.” As a patriot, I do
not object to paying taxes, in fact, I do so proudly.
I know that every dollar I invest in my
country is a dollar which is returned to me in many ways. I can drive on a nice
highway instead of a dirt road. I can buy meat at the grocery and be reasonably
assured it contains nothing poisonous. I can expect that my drinking water is
safe and that polluting industries are regulated. I can be assured that me and
my fellow workers are not working in an unsafe environment and that we will be
able to survive after retirement. I can sleep easy at night, knowing my property
is protected from foreign aggression by the military, from criminals by the
police and from fire by professional firefighters. All in all, the money I
gladly turn over to my government is money well spent, unlike the money I shell
over to the business world. Many people spend as much money every year on
insurance as they do on income taxes and get NO return, whatsoever.
Because of the relentless message that
government and taxes are evil, I doubt there are too many patriots like me
left. I don’t care. I will continue to defend the United States from those who
would tear it down and I make no apologies for doing so.
Every day we hear the same talking points:
“Government can’t create jobs”, “get government out of health care”, “get rid
of government mandates”, “Eliminate the EPA, OSHA, and income tax.” With all this hateful rhetoric directed at the
government, I have only one question: Why am I the one that has to prove my
patriotism……?
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