Tax Day

April 15 - The Day of Taxes

I honestly don't mind paying taxes. Taxes are the price we pay for civilization. It is the new streets, repaired overpasses, homeless shelters, myriad social programs to assist the poor and elderly; the children and the lost. Taxes cover the arts and science; Museums and National Parks; Police Departments and prisons; Life saving rescue to citizens and enforcement of pollution laws.

In order to have a decent country to live in we all must pay taxes. In fact, I wouldn't mind if my taxes were raised to cover things like Pensions; Health Care; Retirement Homes; Medicines. I wouldn't mind at all approaching old age knowing that all of my needs as a citizen are covered and I know longer have to worry about who will take care of me in my declining years. Certain comfort in that.

What I object to is when my hard earned money is sent to Washington and is used to kill other people; is used to kill our own people; is used to promote religion or some particular ideology; is used to provide a lavish life style for corrupt and spineless politicians who do more damage to this country in a single day than most of us can do in a life time.

I object to being lied to. I object to being treated as a 'know nothing' captive of a political system in which I have no voice. I object to my having to pay for increasingly more murderous weapons and biological diseases meant to murder whole populations. I object to my taxes being used to buy luxury condo's for CEO's and guaranteed profits for shareholders. I object when my money is used to torture, maim, distort, overthrow, subjugate and control other sovereign countries and peoples.

I know we live in a dangerous world. I know that there are factions out there that would do us harm. The world has always been a tricky and brutal place. We need an army, we need our military, we need our defenses. But, what I want is a 'Defensive Army', not an offensive one. I want to make sure that others think many times before they seek to do us harm, but I do not want a military that attacks others.

In short, I want my taxes to be used as a benefit, not a bludgeon. I want my money to make the world a better place, not one in which the extremely wealthy control everything and poverty is an enduring condition of race, gender, and ethnicity.

There is an old saying: "If you want peace, work for justice".

Yeah, I want my tax money to do that.