I noticed that she had sent this real-estate email to her children as well as her husband. These are my grandchildren and since I live 4 hours away and don't get to see them too often, I decided they need to know my simple philosophy of my relationship to my country's politics as I'm sure they're bombarded with Internet messages of all kinds. I want them to know what I have learned through my 76+ years.
Now I've decided I will let all my friends know where I stand. I am no economist and no public policy expert let alone a politician, so this is pretty simple advice.
Dear Ann, Jessica, and Christopher, Don't believe everything you read sent by a political party. Go to a website that is objective. I use www.snopes.com and www.fact.com
This thing about a 3.8% real estate tax is covered very well on snopes.com. If you're interested, read it.
If you are watching Fox commentaries on tv, switch once in awhile and watch MSNBC. If you're watching MSNBC, switch once in awhile and watch FOX. Then watch CNN; personally I find them the most objective of the 3 channels.
Politics can be fascinating, but in my 77 years, the ones BEHIND the one running for a political office are often very dishonest and will do anything to WIN. The playing of the game is what is important to them because they are trying to outwit the competition, and they lose sight of consequences. When you live in a democracy, you've got to be watchful, compassionate, and educated and then keep yourselves that way as you age. (I say "compassionate" because Jesus taught us to watch out for our brother, and his teachings have made up my personal ethics.)
The reason many politicians get so far is because they are charismatic. They may have speechwriters who are literally putting words in their mouths, then they make fantastic promises, and uneducated people respond just like they would to a celebrity. The common man (some educated, some ignoramuses) casts his vote and then has to abide by whatever becomes the law.
What it comes down to is that as long as we live in a representative government, someone has to take money from us (taxes) to build roads, schools, bridges, National Parks, the mail service, the Treasury jobs, dams, reservoirs, utilities, communication systems, etc. It seems like the Preamble to the Constitution which says make laws "for the general good of the people" causes most of the arguments. Is the Health Care Plan for the general good of the people? Is an educational system for the general good of the people? Are National Parks for the general good of the people? Is the Post Office for the general good of the people? Is an agency dedicated to helping people during and after a national disaster for the general good of the people? If the national disaster is in New Orleans, is it? If it's in North Dakota, is it? Is providing money to support college education for the general good of the people? Is providing money to support music programs for the general good of the people? Research for a cure for cancer? Alzheimers? Money for Dance programs? Sports? Olympics? Theater? Paintings? Storytelling?
The way you answer these questions places you on that continuum between Conservatism and Socialism--the right wing and the left wing, neither of them are all good or all evil. Conservatives want a minimum of government services, with a minimum amount of federal aid. They want the states to provide more and pay for it (which means American people may get some services in Virginia and very few services in Indiana). The Socialists want government to provide a lot of services and have departments to be in charge of them so there is uniformity across the country, but it creates a huge bureaucracy. (Bureaucracy means, however, lots of jobs for data processors, computer technicians,office managers, accountants, lawyers, window washers, teachers, mining administrators, Park rangers, pollution experts, water control experts, social workers, and foresters, as examples.
A helpful thing you can do for yourself is to figure out just what you believe. Do not copy whatever someone else thinks. Each one of us fits on the continuum in a different place and we all have a right to our own beliefs. No one is all good, and no one is all evil. Figure out what your ethics are (do you ascribe to courage, honesty, loyalty, abiding by the law, citizenship, friendship, trustworthiness etc.) Who or what do you value? Family? Children? Teenagers? The Elderly? Neighbors? Music? Education? The Handicapped? Sports? Nerds? Clubs? Community Service? Who or what are you willing to care for and nurture?
Well, your email about the real estate tax set all these thoughts off in me and I felt a need to share them with you. The United States of America needs thoughtful, educated, and compassionate citizens. Then our country, no matter whether it goes left or right, will be on the right track.
So remember, this advice and philosophy is coming from a woman who has been married three times, has given birth to three unique children, has lived 70 years with a physical handicap, grew up in a working class family, put herself through college after she had started a family, who was born during the Great Depression and lived through World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, the Space Race, the Viet-Nam War, Desert Storm, the Iraqi War, and now the Afghan War, who got a graduate degree, became a clinical social worker in the mental health field, ran her own business, is personable, makes friends easily, loves her family of origin and her adopted family, tells good stories, and has taken care of innumerable cats and dogs throughout the years. I think I ought to know something, even though I am left of center on the continuum. Love, Mim
