A Tax Too Far

A Tax Too Far

Just three years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a group of liberty lovers made quite the ruckus about a tax on tea.  Flash-forward to the present, and as Americans we are used to being taxed on just about everything. Our houses? Taxed. Our income? Taxed. Our Internet? Not yet, but they sure are trying. I know we can agree that taxes are necessary for the functions of our military, and other necessary (key word) programs. What is not necessary is our tax system.

John Locke’s “The Second Treatise of Government” persuaded many concepts within our founding documents. One concept that we all know (and hopefully love) is “property rights”. Locke believed that when we mix our labor with the Earth, the product is an extension of us, and therefore belongs to us. It is no different than our arm or leg. “The labor of his body and the work of his hands we may say are properly his” [1]. John Adams said, “The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God ... anarchy and tyranny commence. PROPERTY MUST BE SECURED OR LIBERTY CANNOT EXIST”[2]. So you see, the very founding of this wonderful nation held that property rights were of the utmost importance. We have a misconception that property rights extend as far as our homes, but it actually goes much further than that.

When you go to work, what is it that you are actually doing?   I will argue that you are mixing your labor with the Earth, and the product is your paycheck. Because after all, we have evolved from the times of building mud huts and eating fruit off of our own trees. “The labor put a distinction between them and the common… and so they became his private right” [3]. Your paycheck is your property. If we are following Locke’s argument, then we have allowed the unthinkable: the government is taxing an extension of the people. Not only is your property taken from you, they chop it up and give you back part of what was rightfully yours a year later. Sounds pretty cruel and inhumane if you ask me.

We must regain our property and our liberty, and repeal the federal income tax from the Revenue Act of 1913. If this idea makes you feel uncomfortable, it’s only because we have been brainwashed to believe that there is no other way to be taxed, such as a flat-tax (which is a case for another day). Real reform does not happen by changing the income brackets in the current tax system. If the federal government can create reforms for industries like health care and education (for the worst if you ask me), then reforming the tax system should not be seen as a “far out” idea, especially when it combats our founding documents so clearly. Instead of climbing a ship and throwing off boxes of tea, we can rally in the form of electing the right people who see the flaw in the current tax system. We must also send a warning to current elected officials that if they don’t start doing something about it, they won’t be holding their office for very long. It is time to take the tax back that went too far.

In Liberty,

Ivy El-Zaatari

Bibliography:

Locke, John, and J. W. Gough. The Second Treatise of Civil Government and A Letter concerning Toleration,. Oxford: B. Blackwell, 1946.

²Adams, John. A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America By John Adams ... London: Printed for C. Dilly, 1787.

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[1] Locke, John, and J. W. Gough. The Second Treatise of Civil Government and A Letter concerning Toleration,. Oxford: B. Blackwell, 1946.

2Adams, John. A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America By John Adams ... London: Printed for C. Dilly, 1787.

3Locke, John, and J. W. Gough. The Second Treatise of Civil Government and A Letter concerning Toleration,. Oxford: B. Blackwell, 1946.

Who should we thank on this 4th of July?

Who should we thank on this 4^th of July?

Every Fourth of July, my social media pages are flooded with wonderful pictures of military personnel, flags, and fireworks. All things magnificent, and of course the military simply cannot be bestowed enough gratitude. They perform a thankless job that takes them away from their families and homes, for the salary of a teacher or less in some cases. But there are other areas that are deserving of consideration, which I would like to draw your attention to on this very special day. These areas are The Founders, educators and teachers, and the boots on the ground.

In Federalist No. 1, Alexander asks the question, “whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force.”[1] To say The Founding Fathers did something very special sounds so much like an understatement when I type it.  What they did is simply immeasurable. Forming a new type of government, that derived its power solely from the people, which grants and protects as much liberty as possible, was what the Founders accomplished. Now you might be thinking, yes I am thankful for them- but they are long gone, and yes this is true, but to honor them there are a few things you could do. You could read the Constitution, The Declaration of Independence, or even commit to reading The Federalist Papers (my personal favorite); any of these tasks would be fitting this Fourth of July.

Now let’s talk about our educators and teachers in America, especially those focused on civic, history, and political science. Many people are now under the impression that we are living in a democracy, and that frankly, isn’t so. I have found that even though the majority of teachers in American have fallen prey to the progressive agenda of altering history and teaching students that we live in a society that is oppressive and the only option they have to fight this is to allow the government to grow and become more controlling. But don’t give up hope… there are still educators out there, quietly going against the grain of propaganda, fighting hard to teach the truth to students across America. They are trying hard to encourage students to question the media, and not believe the hype that liberals are so good at creating. So WE the people whom still respect and honor the constitution need to do everything in our ability to support and encourage them. During this holiday celebration, be sure to reach out to an educator you know that is fighting hard to build a generation of freedom fighters.

And lastly, let’s honor and acknowledge the boots on the ground. No, I don’t mean the military, I mean the men and women working (often as volunteers) to try and pull one person at a time across the aisle to the side of opportunity, real equality, and liberty. These are the people that are creating real “hope and change” in America. They are listening, to the voices of despair and exhaustion- listening to the people that feel so lost in this country they thought was made of opportunity and freedom, and working hard to show them that an oppressive government does not equate to their success. The people in politics often have a bad rap, and it is obvious to see why, but I can tell you from experience, there is a whole lot of good out there, walking the neighborhoods, making the phone calls, and trying desperately to save America. Please if you know someone that is doing this, or next time you see one of them in your neighborhood, thank them for their hard and important work.

As we all know America is at a crossroads at this moment in time. The government is no longer functioning in a role of protecting rights; instead it is usurping them left and right… No pun intended. Ben Franklin once said, “A Republic if you can keep it”[2], well, are we going to restore it and keep it? Without The Founders, the educators, and the boots on the ground, there is no way that our beautiful nation will survive this vicious attack. And today, I encourage you to thank them for all of their hard and unnoticed effort. Let them know you appreciate it, and join them in the fight to save our beautiful mother, America.  Happy Independence Day, freedom fighters!

In Liberty,

Cassandra

Bibliography

Cooke, Jacob E. The Federalist. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 2010.

Franklin, Benjamin Speech on the Signing of the Constitution, September 17, 1787.

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[1] Cooke, Jacob E. "Federalist 1." In The Federalist. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 2010.

[2] Franklin, Benjamin “Speech on Signing the Constitution.” September 17^th, 1787.