I am appalled by these manufactured tea-party protests ... That there are Americans who are so self-centered that they have no sense of responsibility to America is repulsive.This comment leads the "Letters to the Editor." It's pretty revealing of how this "shared responsibility" mentality gets full play in our collectivist media, to say nothing of the dumb mindset among folks on the left, who call patriots "irresponsible" and who refuse to "sacrifice." Dave Endler, a Vietnam veteran who participated at a Yorba Linda rally, might take issue with that. I'd say Andrew Hummel-Schluger needs to get out more often.
We live in a country that asks very little of us in the way of sacrifice. There is no draft for national military service to protect this country. There is no requirement that we offer a certain amount of volunteering to make this country a better place.
All that is asked of our citizens is that we provide a small amount of the money we earn to share the cost of basic necessities that would be exorbitantly expensive for each of us alone.
I cannot afford a private firefighting force, but by paying my taxes, I can share in the cost of a fire department that protects my family and me.
I cannot afford a single private acre of recreational land, but by paying my taxes, I can share in the cost of a national-park system that includes such glories as Mount Rainier, Crater Lake and Yellowstone.
I cannot afford private tutors for my children, but by paying my taxes, I can share in the cost of a public-education system that makes a promise to all, not just a few.
Perhaps these elite tea-bag protesters can afford all these things out of their dividend earnings and their offshore bank accounts. But for us ordinary working Americans, we'll do things the old-fashioned way - through hard work and shared sacrifice.
-- Andrew Hummel-Schluger, Briar
See also, Pamela Gellar, "Corrupt Media 'Teabags' the Tea Parties," and Glenn Reynolds' roundup of yesterday's events at Instapundit, via Memeorandum.
Photo: That's me at the Orange County Tax Day Tea Party. It was just after 11:00am. Folks were just getting organized, and participants were beginning to arrive. By about noon you could barely walk around the plaza, it was so packed with demonstrators. The Bay City Rollers performed the Beatles' Revolution and other songs between speakers.
In case you missed it, be sure to read my essay at Pajamas Media, "Suburban Warriors Rally at Orange County Tea Party."
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UPDATE: Moe Lane e-mails with the link to Welcome to FundRace 2008, with a search for "Andrew Hummel-Schluger."
Adds Moe, "Not to go all class-conscious, here - but since when has being the Associate Director for Academic Data Management for the University of Washington been a job associated with 'ordinary working Americans?'"
Here's Hummel-Schluger's page at the Registrar's Office, and he's on Facebook.
7 comments:
Screw the collectivists. Where is that in the united States Constitution?
Thanks Snooper!
I would like the opportunity to ask Andrew Hummel-Schluger in person why he thinks his goals can only be accomplished at the federal level.
While I don't think history supports collectivism too well, you have to allow the people of, say, Massachusetts, the right to tax themselves into oblivion.
It's the imposition of bad ideas against the other 49 states that should trigger the anti-collectivist blowback.
He's at the University of Washington, Smitty! He wants more money for all the school's programs of left-wing indoctrination!
All that is asked of our citizens is that we provide a small amount of the money we earn...Over half of what I earn is being taken away from me by force and given to someone else.
That is no "small amount" of my earnings.
-Dave
The response is that we want to pay no taxes and therefore allow the government to collapse. The letter does not address the 85% of the federal government that is unconstitutional, and is taking too much money to run. Before 1913, when we saw income tax enacted, then, did the government operate? Besides, the Left believes the tea parties are only about taxes, and do not recognize the big government aspect. Reading that letter reminded me how ignorant of the U.S. Constitution many people truly are.
What is 'collectivism'? Is that, like, communism?
Andrew's letter to the editor was silly. His lists of public services as firefighting, public education, public parks, mothers apple pie, etc, as something Tea Party demonstrators were protesting against. In other words, they are radical anti-government nut-bars.
Then he proceeds to knock down the silly strawmen HE set up.
I am surprise you would give this light weight any blogspace attention whatsoever.
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