Perspectives
I imagine that readers of this blog at least sometimes think I am being mean and selfish. "Mean-spirited" is, I believe, the popular word these days. I want to help others as much as anyone, but America simply cannot help everyone all the time.
Think of your personal life. You cannot spend all of your money and all of your time helping others. The well would soon run dry and you would be needing help yourself. You have to set priorities. It is necessary to provide for yourself first so that you do not become dependent on others. You have to provide food, clothing, shelter, education, and so forth for yourself and your family, then make decisions as to where you want your charity dollars and time to go. We all recognize the need to spend some time on ourselves in order to have something to give to others.
Think, too, of how you have to manage your money. You have to have a budget and stick to it. If you spend more than you have income, you go into debt and that curtails your ability to buy necessities and to give to charity. Why is running our country any different? Whether it is an individual, a family, a city, a state, or a nation, it is foolish to spend more than we have income.
What about security? You realize the need to keep your home and car locked and protected. This doesn't preclude you from giving someone a ride or inviting them over for a meal, but it does protect you and your assets so that you can continue to be generous.
Our country also needs to protect itself and budget its spending and take care of its own. If we do this, we then have the resources to help at least some others around the world. If we overspend and allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by immigrants coming in too many, too fast, our resources will be depleted and we will soon not be able to help anyone. In addition, if we do not set limits, it becomes more likely that terrorists of various kinds, or criminals fleeing justice, will enter our country and destroy it from within, again with the result that we can no longer help anyone, not even ourselves.
Common sense tells us that we have to set priorities and we have to set limits. We have to enforce laws that are already on the books. We also have to stand strongly against terrorism, not only for our own sakes, but for the sake of others around the world who would soon be oppressed if we did not fight back.
We also need to limit government. Somehow, we have lost our way and the federal government is taking over many functions that belong to the states or to individuals. Then the government needs more and more in taxes to fund all these programs--programs that we either don't need or that we could better provide at a local or state level with the money we would not have to send to the federal government in taxes. If we don't limit government, we lose the ability to make choices and decide for ourselves where our money and time should go.
Think about it.
Labels: government, national security, personal reflection, values
posted by Mary @ 4:47 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
For all of the left's railing about "Big Oil" and greed just remember who makes the most on a gallon of gas and who does the least to produce it.
These people (government) are drunk with power and a sense of self importance and this goes for both parties. Once upon a time I was a big C-SPAN viewer. All you have to do is watch some Congress creature puff up like a toad when they are called Mister or Madame Chairman and you should understand. Presonally I think it's scary
Pop, yes, it is scary. Many who go into politics are doing it for their own benefit and have forgotten about serving the public. Both parties are guilty of this. There are still a few good ones left, but they are becoming outnumbered.
Mean and selfish? Hmmm...whoever thinks that needs to comment so I can straighten them out. :)
Bureaucracy is the biggest waste of money. Cut it down and we would be able to keep a lot more of our money. The government likes to filter money, actually letting little get to where it is actually used to get things done.
Thanks, Titus!! :D I agree that bureaucracy is the big money-waster--not just in government, although that is certainly the prime example, but in some charities, as well. If the government would shut down the waste of those excessive bureaucracies and only work at what the Constitution says the Federal Government should be responsible for, we would keep a lot more of our money, which we could then use to support ourselves and our families and also to choose which charities we contribute to--choosing those who make the best use of money. Not to mention private acts of charity--helping our neighbors.
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