So what I keep thinking about is what people used to say when I was a kid, that obnoxious phrase when you want to do something, they don't want you to, but they can't really stop you, "It's a free country." I have always disliked that phrase, because I think in even the most controlling sects of communism there are simply some things the government just doesn't care about. Some things that our national government does now just sits and nags at my brain. Joey is probably bored to death hearing about them from me, but I think he agrees.
For example the income tax is a much higher tax than the Stamp Act or the Tea Tax our founding fathers found so abhorrent. I've always been bothered by the income tax..it's money I earned, money my employer intended for me to receive, and yet, I don't even get to see it. We even try to protect ourselves by overpaying our income taxes and then get so excited to get a tax return, even though it's still a small percentage of what we paid in the first place. I understand the military, and international diplomacy might get a little expensive...but why do I spend more on my national government than my local one? I get a lot more out of my local taxes (schools for local kids, roads (well, not in Rexburg....but generally), libraries, parks....nationally I get very little.
Alexander Hamilton, one of the more elitist founding fathers, likely would have found the state of taxes incredibly troubling. And our modern presidents blatant power-grabs must make George Washington turn in his grave, after all, the most wonderful thing about him is that he could have become a dictator, but he didn't. But then we have our Bushes and Obamas threatening our freedoms in their various ways...No Child Left Behind and the Patriot Act are the two great legacies of Bush that I believe really hurt our freedom. I don't even agree with Lincoln suspending the writ of habeus corpus, let a lone a man who started a preemptive war in the middle east. Obama's bother me even more, and, more personally. The increased airport security is irritating, but I only have to deal with it in the airport. I HATE OBAMACARE. I don't hate that it might make it easier to get insurance, but I hate the heavy regulations on insurance that makes it so expensive, and I REALLY hate being denied the opportunity to take risks.
For example the income tax is a much higher tax than the Stamp Act or the Tea Tax our founding fathers found so abhorrent. I've always been bothered by the income tax..it's money I earned, money my employer intended for me to receive, and yet, I don't even get to see it. We even try to protect ourselves by overpaying our income taxes and then get so excited to get a tax return, even though it's still a small percentage of what we paid in the first place. I understand the military, and international diplomacy might get a little expensive...but why do I spend more on my national government than my local one? I get a lot more out of my local taxes (schools for local kids, roads (well, not in Rexburg....but generally), libraries, parks....nationally I get very little.
Alexander Hamilton, one of the more elitist founding fathers, likely would have found the state of taxes incredibly troubling. And our modern presidents blatant power-grabs must make George Washington turn in his grave, after all, the most wonderful thing about him is that he could have become a dictator, but he didn't. But then we have our Bushes and Obamas threatening our freedoms in their various ways...No Child Left Behind and the Patriot Act are the two great legacies of Bush that I believe really hurt our freedom. I don't even agree with Lincoln suspending the writ of habeus corpus, let a lone a man who started a preemptive war in the middle east. Obama's bother me even more, and, more personally. The increased airport security is irritating, but I only have to deal with it in the airport. I HATE OBAMACARE. I don't hate that it might make it easier to get insurance, but I hate the heavy regulations on insurance that makes it so expensive, and I REALLY hate being denied the opportunity to take risks.
The thing I hate most about Obamacare is how it affects my wallet. I am one of the uninsured Americans the "Affordable Healthcare Act," was instated to protect. HOW?!? I either pay a hefty fine when I do my taxes next year, or I have to sign up for healthcare that I will not use because the deductible is so high and I am an incredibly healthy person. It is cheaper for me to finance my healthcare with a hospital than it is for me to get insurance (they have excellent payment plans and are so kind to their patients....doctors are not evil beasts out to steal all of our money!). I have always intended to get health insurance....when I have more of a disposable income and maybe it could be offered by an employer....or health issues are more of a risk. But so what if I get hurt? Isn't it my risk?I will be the one footing the bill.
Why do we have to be so safe? Why are we fined for taking a little risk? I get speed limits and stoplights, and those sorts of things, but a seat belt law?!? And I understand car insurance, not to cover myself, but whomever I could collide with, but we are so preemptive. Bush went to war in Iraq because he felt they could eventually be a threat, so is this healthcare crap. When Joey and I sat with the insurance agent, he said that Obamacare is the highest tax increase in the history of the country. WHY am I being governed by a little city on the opposite side of the country? Why can't capital hill allow city and state governments to take care of things like that? If you want mandated healthcare, live in a state that mandates it, don't force all the other ones to do it. If you're terrified of guns, live in NYC, I hear gun control's getting pretty big there.
Why does this have to come nationally? Why do we have to have all these safeties and regulations? We're not children, and even children need to go outside and risk skinning their knees, it's not a big deal. Everything seems to be turning into plastic rail and padded knees, if we don't take risks, will we really live? Who are the wealthiest people in this nation? Did they get there by taking the easy way, insuring everything? I don't think so! They were innovative, creative, and got their hands dirty. They took a risk and didn't know what was going to happen, when I don't have health insurance I risk losing A LOT of money if I get seriously injured, but isn't that my risk to take? I know it's not going to make me millions, but maybe I'll learn a lesson, maybe I'll sign up with a health insurance company all the wiser and tell all my friends about how great it is. That is not how it is for me, though, I'm forced through the wallet to sign up for insurance, and I'm going to tell my friends, no matter how injured I get, that it sucks, that I'm paying so much money for something that's not going to help me until I have at least a $5,000 problem.
I think my point is getting away from me, so I want to return to it. How free is my life? What good do all of these regulations do me? Don't I have the right to take risks?
I love my life, and I know that's because I did not take the path that everyone else took. I'm just starting to feel like my freedom to make my own way is being threatened. I believe in local authority, I don't believe in empowering an island at least 1,000 miles away that I will call Washington D.C., even if it does have five representatives from my state in there (five is such a small number on Capital Hill). Aren't we a nation because some intelligent men didn't believe in being overly taxed by an island a couple thousand miles away from them?
Why do we have to be so safe? Why are we fined for taking a little risk? I get speed limits and stoplights, and those sorts of things, but a seat belt law?!? And I understand car insurance, not to cover myself, but whomever I could collide with, but we are so preemptive. Bush went to war in Iraq because he felt they could eventually be a threat, so is this healthcare crap. When Joey and I sat with the insurance agent, he said that Obamacare is the highest tax increase in the history of the country. WHY am I being governed by a little city on the opposite side of the country? Why can't capital hill allow city and state governments to take care of things like that? If you want mandated healthcare, live in a state that mandates it, don't force all the other ones to do it. If you're terrified of guns, live in NYC, I hear gun control's getting pretty big there.
Why does this have to come nationally? Why do we have to have all these safeties and regulations? We're not children, and even children need to go outside and risk skinning their knees, it's not a big deal. Everything seems to be turning into plastic rail and padded knees, if we don't take risks, will we really live? Who are the wealthiest people in this nation? Did they get there by taking the easy way, insuring everything? I don't think so! They were innovative, creative, and got their hands dirty. They took a risk and didn't know what was going to happen, when I don't have health insurance I risk losing A LOT of money if I get seriously injured, but isn't that my risk to take? I know it's not going to make me millions, but maybe I'll learn a lesson, maybe I'll sign up with a health insurance company all the wiser and tell all my friends about how great it is. That is not how it is for me, though, I'm forced through the wallet to sign up for insurance, and I'm going to tell my friends, no matter how injured I get, that it sucks, that I'm paying so much money for something that's not going to help me until I have at least a $5,000 problem.
I think my point is getting away from me, so I want to return to it. How free is my life? What good do all of these regulations do me? Don't I have the right to take risks?
I love my life, and I know that's because I did not take the path that everyone else took. I'm just starting to feel like my freedom to make my own way is being threatened. I believe in local authority, I don't believe in empowering an island at least 1,000 miles away that I will call Washington D.C., even if it does have five representatives from my state in there (five is such a small number on Capital Hill). Aren't we a nation because some intelligent men didn't believe in being overly taxed by an island a couple thousand miles away from them?
