A Lesson on Taxes
NOBODY likes to pay taxes. Even the least materialistic left-leaning person would rather hang on to the money they've earned and spend it as they choose. If you recognize the need to make money in order to take care of the practical stuff in life, you tend to want to keep those gains without having to hand over any more than you have to. The instinct to take care of number one is a pretty basic one. So, why do we have taxes that everybody would rather not pay? Is it because the evil government just wants to waste more of your money on programs and projects you don't use? The question really becomes why do we have government, and what is it before we can even get to the matter of taxes.
That basic selfish instinct I spoke of takes on an interesting form in social animals. There is recognition that we're much more likely to survive in groups, which leads us to form families, communities and countries. It leads us to create laws and express ideals that improve those social units because what helps society helps the individuals in it. Government exists to manifest those laws and ideals. In a democracy like the United States, there is no division between the government and the people; the government is the people, and it has a responsibility to work toward these societal goals. There is an obligation to support the things that benefit the group. Taxes we pay to the government are those we as a group decided to pay, and they are spent in ways the group has decided are important, ways that improve society. You may not agree with all those choices. You can't get 300,000,000 people to agree 100% on anything, but the fact remains that if you are an American citizen, you have a say in what the government does with your taxes.
Now, what we are taxed for is often the subject of rants and political arguments. Certainly, we hear a lot of grumbling whenever taxes are due. Living in a village with an older than average population, I frequently hear complaints about the cost of supporting our schools. A large percentage of the local property tax is for the public school, and that is due regardless of whether your family has a student enrolled. It's not uncommon for those who no longer have children at home to question why they're paying for education with their taxes. Similar arguments come from those who home school their kids or send them to private school. It seems unfair that we may be required to pay for the education of others in addition to our own or to pay when we get no direct benefit.
This is where we have to return to that fundamental concept of the purpose of government. This is where we have to put aside the immediate selfishness that says what's in it for me and acknowledge the next level that says what helps my group helps me. An educated population capable of rational thought is our best bet for raising up everyone in a community. Government, as the people's way of taking care of those societal needs, is responsible for making education available to all our people.
How does it help you to have educated neighbours? When education is available to all, we aren't wasting any of the potential in our community. There are more minds capable of thinking up ways to improve our lives. Minds that are awake are more likely to question the negative forces, the manipulative or destructive elements of society. They will be watching out for you as they do for themselves because they will see further than short-term gains. Those who have been given this opportunity are less likely to suffer the abuses and economic misfortunes that create bitterness, despair, desperation and violence. If you want to live in a healthy, free society, it's clear that education is a vital component.
There are those who run down the idea of public education, but in addition to the need for education in general, it's important that it not be restricted to only those who can afford private schools or to only what is offered by private schools. Every individual should be able to learn and to reach for their potential without the influence of special interests or theological opinions if they choose, just as others have the right to choose those options. For a society to thrive, access to a neutral basic education is every child's right. This is the reason the very first public school systems were established in forward thinking societies through history and why they exist in free countries throughout the world today. When you hear arguments against public education, ask yourself who stands to gain the most from keeping our children in the dark or creating a new aristocracy where only the wealthy have the right to exercise their minds. Then ask yourself which side of that divide you and your family would be on.
Despite the attempts to turn the concept of free public education into a partisan political debate, this is one thing that is soundly an historically proven GOOD IDEA for any free society. Accessible public education is a big win for society, and it's one we should all feel good about supporting.
That basic selfish instinct I spoke of takes on an interesting form in social animals. There is recognition that we're much more likely to survive in groups, which leads us to form families, communities and countries. It leads us to create laws and express ideals that improve those social units because what helps society helps the individuals in it. Government exists to manifest those laws and ideals. In a democracy like the United States, there is no division between the government and the people; the government is the people, and it has a responsibility to work toward these societal goals. There is an obligation to support the things that benefit the group. Taxes we pay to the government are those we as a group decided to pay, and they are spent in ways the group has decided are important, ways that improve society. You may not agree with all those choices. You can't get 300,000,000 people to agree 100% on anything, but the fact remains that if you are an American citizen, you have a say in what the government does with your taxes.
Now, what we are taxed for is often the subject of rants and political arguments. Certainly, we hear a lot of grumbling whenever taxes are due. Living in a village with an older than average population, I frequently hear complaints about the cost of supporting our schools. A large percentage of the local property tax is for the public school, and that is due regardless of whether your family has a student enrolled. It's not uncommon for those who no longer have children at home to question why they're paying for education with their taxes. Similar arguments come from those who home school their kids or send them to private school. It seems unfair that we may be required to pay for the education of others in addition to our own or to pay when we get no direct benefit.
This is where we have to return to that fundamental concept of the purpose of government. This is where we have to put aside the immediate selfishness that says what's in it for me and acknowledge the next level that says what helps my group helps me. An educated population capable of rational thought is our best bet for raising up everyone in a community. Government, as the people's way of taking care of those societal needs, is responsible for making education available to all our people.
How does it help you to have educated neighbours? When education is available to all, we aren't wasting any of the potential in our community. There are more minds capable of thinking up ways to improve our lives. Minds that are awake are more likely to question the negative forces, the manipulative or destructive elements of society. They will be watching out for you as they do for themselves because they will see further than short-term gains. Those who have been given this opportunity are less likely to suffer the abuses and economic misfortunes that create bitterness, despair, desperation and violence. If you want to live in a healthy, free society, it's clear that education is a vital component.
There are those who run down the idea of public education, but in addition to the need for education in general, it's important that it not be restricted to only those who can afford private schools or to only what is offered by private schools. Every individual should be able to learn and to reach for their potential without the influence of special interests or theological opinions if they choose, just as others have the right to choose those options. For a society to thrive, access to a neutral basic education is every child's right. This is the reason the very first public school systems were established in forward thinking societies through history and why they exist in free countries throughout the world today. When you hear arguments against public education, ask yourself who stands to gain the most from keeping our children in the dark or creating a new aristocracy where only the wealthy have the right to exercise their minds. Then ask yourself which side of that divide you and your family would be on.
Despite the attempts to turn the concept of free public education into a partisan political debate, this is one thing that is soundly an historically proven GOOD IDEA for any free society. Accessible public education is a big win for society, and it's one we should all feel good about supporting.
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