By Mary Ellen Hardy / Herald Forum
A recent letter to the editor disparaged the No Kings rallies and attempted to equate them to the American Revolution which severed our ties to England and King George III.
The writer presents only part of the story when he claims the Revolutionary War was about taxes. The complete idea is that we fought against “taxation without representation.” He may not like the representation he has from our congresspersons and senators from Washington state, but he is represented, nonetheless. Perhaps if his party had better ideas on how to help its citizens, they might have more say in the other Washington.
Complaints from citizens about “free stuff” for others always puzzles me because we all benefit from free stuff and services. The list is commonly known and quite long: public schools, fire and police departments, road and highway construction and maintenance, air traffic control, environmental protection, and the national defense. Along with Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, disability benefits, survivor benefits, and retirement benefits, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone in the country who has not been supported by the “free stuff” our taxes pay for.
So, no, I am not outraged by paying taxes, as I know they go toward the greater good. It has always seemed short-sighted and selfish to me that folks complain about providing help to their neighbors. It is also embarrassing that we, the wealthiest nation on earth, cannot get over ourselves long enough to provide health care for all!
Of course, that’s not all that is embarrassing about the United States right now, as we are being represented by the most unqualified and incompetent group of ne’er-do-wells ever assembled. I often see them referred to as a clown car, but I think that is unfair to clowns, who are only criminals in movies and books. The Republicans in Washington, D.C., are committing their crimes out in the open.
For those who may need a refresher course on our history, the latest Ken Burns documentary, all about the American Revolution, recently aired on PBS. It would benefit all of us to watch it and remind ourselves what our country is really supposed to be about.
Mary Ellen Hardy lives in Everett.
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