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Frank Gillispie

OPINION: Our gov’t steals from the rich, gives to freeloaders

Posted by

Frank Gillispie

in Opinions

Monday, January 18. 2010

Comments (14)

Let me explain something to you. You have no “Constitutional” rights. The Constitution does not grant rights. It only preserves and protects your natural rights.

Anyone who has ever studied the origins of our American system of government should know that. It is clearly stated in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, and are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, and that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

The Declaration defines the creator by the phrase, “the laws of nature and nature’s God.”

The position taken by our founders was that the rights of man, all men together and each man (or woman) individually is a product of this natural law. Natural law exists outside of governments of any kind, and they belong to all humans, regardless of what type of government they live under.

Consider this: If any government agency or man-made document was the grantor of our rights as humans, that same or a similar government or document could just as easily take them away. But our rights under natural law are unalienable, meaning that no human power has the authority to deny or interfere with those rights. Your natural rights can only be denied if they do damage to the rights of other people.

You have a natural right to enjoy the profits of your labor. When you go out and work to earn money for the use of yourself and your family. No one has a natural right to take that money and give it to someone who prefers to live “on the government dole.”

You see, your rights are coupled with your responsibility. You have the right to enjoy any lifestyle you choose, as long as you exercise the responsibility to earn the money to pay for it.

When you take the product of your neighbor’s labor for your own use without giving him fair value in return, you are a thief. It does not matter if you break into his house and steal the money from his wallet, or have a government bureaucrat do it for you. You are still abusing your neighbor of his right to freely enjoy the product of his labor.

Now, natural law requires all of us to assist those who are unable to care for themselves. And I know of very few people who are not willing to do just that. I am happy to provide any assistance I can to anyone who truly needs my help. But I resent having the fruit of my labor taken from me by force, including excessive taxes, to support people who make no effort to provide for themselves.

Our government is on an ever-expanding track to take from the rich (those who work to support themselves and their families) and give to the poor (those who sit on their couches in front of their big TV waiting for everything to be given to them.) And the current programs being crammed through Congress at this time add dramatically to that abuse of our natural rights to keep for our own use the money we earn.

No wonder our nation is once again rising up in rebellion.

Frank Gillispie is founder of The Madison County Journal. His e-mail address is frank@frankgillispie.com. His website can be accessed at http://www.frankgillispie.com/gillispieonline.

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#1 Lenton Tony Ganey on 01/18/10 at 05:27 PM [Reply]

Unemployment benefits, food stamps, school lunches, medicaid and housings subsidies are most of the funds that are directed toward the needy. The amount of these expenditures are at about 16% of the the federal budget. I would agree that there are people out there that abuse the system. I guess you are advocating the rich guys that lost all the money in the financial institutions that we bailed out not be taxed for all the millions in bonuses. My daughter while visiting during Christmas purchased several childrens coats to give out to students she was teaching. We know teachers certainly aren't paid that well but I guess she just has a genetic propensity to be a bleeding heart and can't watch children be cold. We should work to solve and eliminate the causes of poverty. We are fortunate to live in a great nation that is properous and very compassionate.

#1.1 Bill on 01/19/10 at 11:20 AM [Reply]

I agree with Lenton.

#1.2 Still Here on 01/21/10 at 08:29 AM [Reply]

Ok ,This may be off base,but let me give you a example of how our fine Goverment Works.I Have cancer an have been out of work for over a year because of Chemo,two operations,Death like Sickness,and all of the other wonderfull reason that chemo an cancer cause.During that time the goverment is paying daycare for a child that my wife babysits for,whom after droping her kid off at my house, returns back home an climbs back in the bed.dose she look for a job?NO,Dose she try an inprove her way of life?NO.Why ?DEFCS has her coverd.(PS, She Has no reason why she can't work) Now back to me,here i am Sick, Got Cancer,Been cut open like a fish.an our fine goverment will not approve me for Any Kind of Help.(Not a liftime of support like some get ,I was asking for a Year Support) Yet they pay my wife to keep this girls child when she perfect able to work.(Yes my wife dose have a Daycare,We only have two kids,you do the math were not making alot)

#2 Hmm? on 01/19/10 at 07:43 AM [Reply]

You don't even have to be rich... You can just be an everyday working person who doesn't make a lot of money.

#3 alicia on 01/19/10 at 10:08 AM [Reply]

There are more people living "on the govt. dole" off of taxes in the U.S. military and public sector than ALL of the medicaid and welfare COMBINED!

Want to see who is living off your tax dollars? Go to your local military base.

Oh yeah, the vast majority of people who scream about income taxes and "govt. taking their money" don't even pay income taxes. I suspect Mr. Gillispie falls into this category.

#4 Native American on 01/20/10 at 08:32 AM [Reply]

Why can't I travel to Cuba, grow marijuana or own an assault rifle?

#5 MC taxpayor on 01/20/10 at 10:02 AM [Reply]

Conservation tax breaks : maybe time to see if more rich people getting this than middle class. BOC needs to ask state to see if can review and adjust MC conservation tax parcels.

#6 Sardonic Veracity on 01/20/10 at 04:06 PM [Reply]

If the congress would tighten their respective belts, reverse the budget defecit and pay back the national debt, then we, as a nation, could use the government as a vehicle to help those in need. As it stands, the government is not stealing from the rich to give to the poor inasmuch as it is borrowing from China to give to the poor and leaving our children and grandchildren with a large debt load to repay... unless China and the other countries that hold our debts decide to forclose.

If the present administration and congressional representatives get their way, this trend will continue and the country will grow deeper in debt.

#7 Daniel on 01/20/10 at 09:45 PM [Reply]

Well, let’s start with a few of Gainey's arguments. Unemployment benefits come from a special fund that is DIRECTLY funded by employers of the STATE of Georgia. It is a tax imposed upon the employers.

Next is the argument concerning the tax on the banks that received the bailout funds. The original deal (contract) between our Government and the banks was to pay back the loans WITH interest. Period. That’s it. No tax, fine, etc... If the government would have included the tax -on-bonuses stipulation in the original contract then the tax would be appropriate, meaning contractually.

As far as the concern over poverty, I commend your daughter for her generosity. As she demonstrated it should be voluntary generosity not government mandated, at the end of a gun barrel generosity as it currently is, i.e., taxes. As I have said in past letters, capitalism has brought more people out of poverty than any government run fiasco that our world has ever seen. Capitalism perfect? No but it is the best "public" option available.

Last but not least, Alicia seems to take pleasure in showing disdain for our military. I'm sure that Alicia and most of the people that complain about the cost and presence of our military would quickly hide behind their protection when they feel threatened or in a time of crisis and soon as the threat was gone would return to their same anti-military antics. That is called cowardice.

#8 yea on 01/21/10 at 03:29 PM [Reply]

Scott Brown-the new Senator from Massachusetts-a step in the right direction!

#9 Anonymous on 01/21/10 at 11:54 PM [Reply]

Nobody wants to pay taxes (and most people don't pay a dime of taxes), but everybody raises heck when the road isn't paved, or a sign is down, or a disaster hits and they need help, etc., etc.

Same old, same old.

Stupid, fat, lazy Americans.

#10 GO DANIEL! on 01/22/10 at 06:39 AM [Reply]

DANIEL FOR PRESIDENT!!!!!!!

#11 WeThePeople on 01/23/10 at 02:13 PM [Reply]

Gillispie defines "rich" as - "those who work to support themselves and their families"

I know a fellow. He's rich. Back in the last century, his granpa made a bunch of money off W. Virginia coal. Check your history. A lot of rich folks granpaw's made millions off coal. Never mind that they neglected the workers, broke all kinds of laws, and thousands of men died in those mines as a result.

Now, this rich fellow never worked a day in his life. So, Gillispie's definition of "rich" needs some correcting.

Now that coal is a natural resource. I figure that, combined with all the citizens his granpaw killed to make those millions, we the people have got as much right, uh MORE RIGHTS, to those millions than any of his family.

#12 tarver on 02/01/10 at 09:13 PM [Reply]

i have lived in madison county for 23 years.Relocated here in 1987 after the oil refiners closed and down sized in Texas.Done my time in the US ARMY worked hard to raise my kids all with out welfare. My son is current US MARINES 2 tours in four years.To many people in prison and on welfare that puts absolutly nothing back in to our economy but exspects food-housing-medical they arent even exspected to fight for the very freedom my son -grandpaws-friends and other americans died to give.When nothing is left to give THEN WHAT!

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