March 28, 2024

Striving for an honest and just society

keyboard, letter to the editor

I find this a sad time for our country. I grew up as a Christian and as a Patriot. Nearly every family loaned their young to protect the country. Some paid the ultimate price; some paid with lifelong pain; all sacrificed four or more years to protecting our country. Most of them did not hate people, though they hated injustice. Part of my heritage is belonging to the Potawatomie Native American tribe, who endured injustice on the Trail of Tears. One thing I respect about my tribe is that we don’t look in the past about injustice, but fight the injustice of today. We don’t blame, condemn, violate or abuse others of differing opinions. We do protest, but we don’t destroy.

Today, I hear so much whining and demanding that the government “give me.” Who is the government? It is us — those of us who earn our money and pay taxes when we earn enough. The government has no money; it uses our money, sometimes wisely, sometimes unwisely. Twenty years ago, I remember responding to someone’s complaint about taxes: “I don’t mind paying taxes for services needed on a large scale, such as good roads; I don’t mind paying taxes to help the working poor get their needs; I don’t mind paying taxes to give a step up to someone who is down.” Today, I hear about taking from the wealthy to give to the poor. No one really wants to define wealthy. The poorest of us have more than the “middle-class” of some nations. Why do we have the right to take from “the wealthy” if they got it honestly. Sure, they should pay their taxes and yes they use loopholes in the tax laws such as contributing to a charity, etc. Yet, who gives us the right to take from them. I hope that those who know they are better off than others, give more to help others. What I see is very wealthy people defining wealthy as those who make more than they do.

Today, we reward the criminals of our society because we want to redefine what a crime is. I define a crime as anything done against the law and anything done against another’s right. I dream that those who are supposed to report the facts would stick to the facts and not embellish them with personal opinion.

Christine Pauley

Newton