The Demise of a Republic - The Views of an Ordinary Citizen

by Murray Regan. First in a series.

We as a citizenry have relied far too often and given far too much credit, and power I might add, to the politicians in this country, whether it is our state reps or solons in Washington. We as a people and a nation have veered far off course from the core principals on which this nation was founded. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness are chief among them. These principles mean (among other things) that, as human beings and citizens of this republic, we should not be subjected to the whims of a politician or legislator who, at the expense of the many, creates a law or statute that benefits a small minority and treats it as a “special class” with “special protections.” That sentiment goes against the very basic principal of equality.

A case in point is the “hate crime” legislation which is already law and continuously promoted and perverted as a sensible idea. In fact, it is a fallacious argument on its face, in life and in law. Is it not a hateful act to assault, rob, rape or murder anyone regardless of race, creed, sexual orientation or social status? The fact that politicians want to give special status to one group over another is abhorrent to anyone with a sense of true justice and forthrightness in their heart. It also serves to divide one group from another, which, in turn, promotes and creates hostile feelings and unproductive, harmful discourse between those groups. Unfortunately, pitting one group against another is what the “politician” is truly adept at these days.

Take the tax code for instance. Is it fair to have a graduated tax code, so that one group pays more of a percentage of their income than another? The tax code should be flat across the board so everyone pays the same percentage of any income they earn with no more loopholes or write-offs – simple yet effective and, as a result, eliminates, not only, any cause for divisiveness but also the temptation for politicians to play favorites because, by definition, it can not be manipulated to anyone’s advantage if left alone. This idea should also apply to any and all companies, corporations, LLC’s or any other entity that makes money, save perhaps legitimate charitable organizations. Just think of the savings we would realize by getting rid of the IRS. In my humble opinion, we should also look to tax private institutions of higher learning. They should be required to share equally in the burden we all bare, since they benefit from services provided by the town or city in which they reside. Just think of the added revenue realized by adding private institutions to the tax roles.