Perhaps the story will be different tomorrow, but in so far as I know, the debate continues.
It’s deja vu all over again. For the second year in a row, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors is having a hard time agreeing on a preliminary tax rate. On Tuesday, supervisors tried several times to come up with a maximum real estate tax rate but none of the proposals could get enough votes to pass.
The board was supposed to vote Tuesday to advertise a public hearing for the tax rate. The advertisement must include the maximum real estate tax rate that the supervisors will consider. The board can then adopt a lower tax rate than what they advertised, but they can’t adopt a rate that is higher. (from here)
What is the problem? The problem is people. Some see only government’s potential usefulness; they disregard government’s known liabilities. Some people would have us believe the existence of other approaches besides government has no relevance to government’s potential usefulness. In fact, some would prefer we disregard any other approach except government.
Consider the definition of patriotism: devoted love, support, and defense of one’s country; national loyalty. Some would have us define patriotism as merely paying taxes. Yet if patriotism were just paying taxes, patriotism would be an easy thing, but it is not. We respect patriots because they are willing to give their best, their blood, sweat, and tears, to protect us.
When does government earn the devoted loyalty of patriots? That happens when people feel their government is loyal to them. That happens when people believe government exists to protect them, their families, and their neighbors instead of robbing them. That happens when the politically connected do not use government to pick the pockets of their neighbors and to force their beliefs on other people’s children.
We are loyal to our government — we are patriots — because we believe our government protects our freedom. What is freedom? Freedom is in the “other approaches” that some would have us disregard. Freedom is when we can make our own choices amongst those “other approaches.” The bigger government’s “potential usefulness” is seen to be, the fewer will be the “other approaches.” The less freedom we will have. Then instead of being patriots, we will be slaves to the state.
We must remember what John F. Kennedy said at his inaugural address.
In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shank from this responsibility – I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavour will light our country and all who serve it — and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own. (from here)
We have freedom because patriots make personal sacrifices we have no right to demand of them. Just you cannot make a man free by enslaving him, you cannot make him free by taxing him. We each can only make ourselves free by giving everything we have to God, not government.
