Tax Day Tea Party in Pensacola
We don’t really understand the Tea Party. It is clearly against Obama, but then again, it is clearly the party of “against” and it is hard to find anything it is for. This is a problem; it is easy to tear down, and it is a lot more difficult to create – to formulate solutions which will provide benefits for the majority of participants.
As we were approaching our hotel, we saw this huge crowd of ‘protesters’ who appeared to be partying. But every sign was different! As 15 April is Tax Day, the day our income taxes are due, maybe about 10% were carrying signs that had to do with taxes, preferably NO taxes. The rest of the signs protested other things – constitutional amendments (what – women voting? black people being counted as full people? the repeal of prohibition?), no abortion, putting God first – it was a total potluck of causes.
The weather was mild, the sun was shining, there was a breeze – great day for an incoherent protest, LOL. I took pictures from the safety of our car, although everyone seemed very friendly:
Here is what cracks us up. Pensacola is a highly military reliant community. There is a huge military presence here, from Eglin Air Force Base to the Pensacola Naval Air Station. Pensacola is glad to have the military business. So where do they think the money comes from that pays the military salaries, and thus, gets spent in their economy, at their businesses? Few Americans have saved enough to comfortably retire, who do they think is contributing to their Social Security support, and Medicare, and Medigap? Tax dollars! Who do they think supports public education, and guarantees law and order? Who do they think runs the justice system? Who do they think provides emergency fire and medical services? Tax dollars! Who builds and maintains the roads and bridges, insures safety in our food supplies, construction and medicines? Our government, supported by our tax dollars!
Do I like paying taxes? No! Not one bit! But in the interest of the greater good, we pay our taxes honestly, and thank God to live in a society with order, thanks to our tax dollars.
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Amazina
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And you can bet your bottom dollar every one of them was sweating bullets and keeping their fingers crossed that none of the installations you mentioned were closed during any of the Base Realignment And Closure (BRAC) periods!
That millitary presence is paid by tax dollars, but to protect the rights and freedoms that were origanlly set forth by the constitution and the ammendments, which was brought on by capitalism and the “american dream” to accomplish what u can and desire.(pursuit of life, liberty and happiness, not an entitlement or god given right) we have a right to enjoy the benifits that are an example of our ambition to get out there and do it. Everyone pays taxes, but who likes to think of all thier hard work being given back to a growing population of beggers of the government who, intead of motivating people to get off their asses, hands out and redistributes the earnings of hard working americans.
Big Al, I agree with you that people need to earn their own way, and most in our country want to work. There are those who can’t, or who have fallen through the cracks, and it is our responsibility – especially as Christians – to take care of those who are elderly, widows, infants – it’s biblical. We also have to take care of the damaged – the mentally ill (Jesus healed many of the mentally ill, remember?), those in jail, the sick, the needy. We are told – this is biblical – if someone asks for charity from us, we are to give it.
The Tea Party was originally formed to combat the health bill. I participate in just such a medical plan – we are former military. Your taxes pay for my health car, and thanks be to God. If we had a good, universal health care option in America, we could work harder on prevention. We have some serious challenges down the road, with obesity leading to diabetes and heart disease and strokes. We need to turn that battleship around NOW.