Samuel Adams,
The Rights of the Colonists 1772
Among the natural rights of the Colonists are these: First, a right to life; Secondly, to liberty; Thirdly, to property; together with the right to support and defend them in the best manner they can. These are evident branches of, rather than deductions from, the duty of self-preservation, commonly called the first law of nature.
All men have a right to remain in a state of nature as long as they please; and in case of intolerable oppression, civil or religious, to leave the society they belong to, and enter into another.
When men enter into society, it is by voluntary consent; and they have a right to demand and insist upon the performance of such conditions and previous limitations as form an equitable original compact.
Every natural right not expressly given up, or, from the nature of a social compact, necessarily ceded, remains.
All positive and civil laws should conform, as far as possible, to the law of natural reason and equity.
As neither reason requires nor religion permits the contrary, every man living in or out of a state of civil society has a right peaceably and quietly to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience.
Adams
All this talk of taking taxes for fainess , to level the playing field, the middle class is pressed by the rich is while sounding well meaning, not a principle that the founders of the great nation ever had in mind. One does not take from a neighbor for their own benefit without earning it. No matter how badly you or I beleive our neighbor has more than us, it is in the end up to us to go out into the world to aquire that which we desire and not "TAKE" from others the things we did not earn. Yes taxes are part of society now, and will be when I am gone, but there is nothing that says taxes cannot be fair for all. So what is fair? If your neighbor pay's 20% on a million dollars and you pay 20% on a hundred thousand dollars is that fair? See what I mean? this nation was built on principles, strong principles, of work, self reliance, love of home, and family, and country. It was not built on the ethos of taking what one did not earn to benefit themselves. Like it or not Barack Obama's tax plan has in the minds of many gotten this very reputation. Now I have heard all the arguments pro and con, but the bottom line is this. We as a nation need to look back at what made this country great and apply those principles to this comming change. Now if thats a rise in taxes , then so be it , but make that tax a rise for all people that pay taxes , if you going to give a tax cut then make it a tax cut for all people who pay taxes. The bottom line is that someone out there will always make more money than you will and to argue that because they do is unfair is to admit you do not wish to go and seek new opportunities to enhance your financial status, be it through education, job training, a second job, starting your own business, etc. All it takes is a little look at simple principles and not this notion of fairness based on what you have vs. your neighbor. Sam Adams had it right long ago about entering into a society by consent and your ability to seek a new society if the one you find yourself in does not suit you. Just a thought.
The Rights of the Colonists 1772
Among the natural rights of the Colonists are these: First, a right to life; Secondly, to liberty; Thirdly, to property; together with the right to support and defend them in the best manner they can. These are evident branches of, rather than deductions from, the duty of self-preservation, commonly called the first law of nature.
All men have a right to remain in a state of nature as long as they please; and in case of intolerable oppression, civil or religious, to leave the society they belong to, and enter into another.
When men enter into society, it is by voluntary consent; and they have a right to demand and insist upon the performance of such conditions and previous limitations as form an equitable original compact.
Every natural right not expressly given up, or, from the nature of a social compact, necessarily ceded, remains.
All positive and civil laws should conform, as far as possible, to the law of natural reason and equity.
As neither reason requires nor religion permits the contrary, every man living in or out of a state of civil society has a right peaceably and quietly to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience.
Adams
All this talk of taking taxes for fainess , to level the playing field, the middle class is pressed by the rich is while sounding well meaning, not a principle that the founders of the great nation ever had in mind. One does not take from a neighbor for their own benefit without earning it. No matter how badly you or I beleive our neighbor has more than us, it is in the end up to us to go out into the world to aquire that which we desire and not "TAKE" from others the things we did not earn. Yes taxes are part of society now, and will be when I am gone, but there is nothing that says taxes cannot be fair for all. So what is fair? If your neighbor pay's 20% on a million dollars and you pay 20% on a hundred thousand dollars is that fair? See what I mean? this nation was built on principles, strong principles, of work, self reliance, love of home, and family, and country. It was not built on the ethos of taking what one did not earn to benefit themselves. Like it or not Barack Obama's tax plan has in the minds of many gotten this very reputation. Now I have heard all the arguments pro and con, but the bottom line is this. We as a nation need to look back at what made this country great and apply those principles to this comming change. Now if thats a rise in taxes , then so be it , but make that tax a rise for all people that pay taxes , if you going to give a tax cut then make it a tax cut for all people who pay taxes. The bottom line is that someone out there will always make more money than you will and to argue that because they do is unfair is to admit you do not wish to go and seek new opportunities to enhance your financial status, be it through education, job training, a second job, starting your own business, etc. All it takes is a little look at simple principles and not this notion of fairness based on what you have vs. your neighbor. Sam Adams had it right long ago about entering into a society by consent and your ability to seek a new society if the one you find yourself in does not suit you. Just a thought.