Response to Dan

I'm sorry to break the tradition of making a response in the form of a comment to the original post but I find jumping to the comments to read further about a discussion to be too tedious so I'll defer from normal practice tonight. Also since this blog is hardly being populated enough to be crowed I don't think it matters much.

First and foremost I'd like to make clear that my interpretation of Dan's post as more of a display of disgust of bureaucracy rather than government itself. I feel like Dan's point could have been made much stronger if he had used the many factual stories of bureaucratic failure that already exist in history rather than conjure a lop-sided story. I can concede to Dan's argument with the many examples where government bureaucracy has failed American citizens terribly- the Katrina hurricane, the healthcare for 9/11 responders, and many more.

It is the form of Dan's argument, however, that causes my disagreement. I could go on and on about his exaggerated examples and stories and attempt to counter them by ridiculous examples of my own. I could give examples of how large government bureaucracies have provided me extraordinary services that counter his desires of community providing my needs. (Oh how I would love to sarcastically turn Dan's debate on it's head by giving the example of student loans). But rather than falling tragically into the pitfall of shouting our own rational points at each other I would rather lend to this conversation my beliefs on the "morality" of taxes and my thoughts of my opposition.

From my limited ability to understand the position of those whose opinions are opposite of mine I believe that their opposition spawns from desire to protect their personal freedoms and maintaining fairness. I can understand how one may feel that their personal freedoms are being restricted by increased taxes. No one ever cares to see their hard work taken from them and taxes definitely impose the restriction of choosing where your money goes. I can also understand the want to not have the money that you earned fairly spent in a way that you do not wish it to be. And, to the point of fairness, I can strongly support the upset caused when injustice is left to stand. There are several examples flaunted by the media of undeserving people siphoning off money from governmental support. Perceived unfairness drains my natural ability to be a productive worker at my job as I work with a person creates a large difference between the ratio of the amount we work and the amount we each get paid. But the extent of my ability to empathize stops here.

In my mind these "restricted freedoms" and unfair leeching are more than bearable in exchange for what I am getting in return. I live in America- it is a gift that I can not fully conceive how advantaged I am for having it. To have the privilege to live in this nation is something I wish I'll never stop appreciating. It is the knowledge of this privilege and how I have never "earned" this privilege that causes my desire that more people, people that are undoubtedly more deserving than I am, come to have the same privileges. This want makes me believe taxation is moral. How else are those less fortunate than me ever to come to know the pleasure of knowing that they will have a meal every night, the comfort of having a roof over my head, the ability to seek any career that I can possibly desire, and the knowledge that someday I'll be able to provide these same privileges to my own children? I believe that my part in keeping this system working is to become a hard working individual who returns the resources which he used to get his success back to the society which enabled him to get there. Rather than view tax as a despicable restriction I view it as a token of appreciation for all that I have gained with out any effort for I know I will earn more than double than what I do deserve.

Further I feel like my philanthropic views of taxing should strike a chord of my christian brethren. Why insist on narrowing your vision to those who are unfairly benefiting from your tax money and not rather appreciate all those who truly benefit from taxes? Even if I am wrong about the number of people who abuse the system I'm still convinced that helping even just a few of those in great need is far better than thwarting a majority who are stealing. I can agree to trying to find ways of preventing injustice but I refuse to believe that there is any benefit in doing so if it even harms one soul in need. I am willing to give up one latte per week, a video game a year, or even wait a few years to get that flashy sports car if that means someone gains the opportunity to even start thinking about "sacrificing" the same things that I am now.

What really causes people to hold dear to fairness and their material gains? Is it fear of bureaucratic blunders or fear of unfairness that provide doubts to a system that strives to provides equal privileges? Let there be bureaucratic mistakes. Let there be those who succeed by stealing my charity. I would rather live with those errors and live in a nation that hopes to provides opportunity to everyone.

With all my disagreement of Dan's post there is one thing that he wrote that sings with truth: the need to strengthen community. I have always admired the LDS's ability to build strong, helpful communities and I can only hope that this ability will seed to the rest of the nation. I believe that you can hardly strive to build a better nation with the relief that tax money brings alone. However, the combination of strengthened communities and governmental help can be the effervescence that raises this nation to greater heights.

So why Dan- why everyone else- why not start now? Besides Dave being a text messaging buddy with Obama, not one of the people I know are either politically or socially active in their communities. If there are injustices in the political world or in your communities that disgust you I assure you that actions are far more powerful than words.