The LuLac Edition #1153, Apr. 17th, 2010

PHOTO INDEX: OUR INTERVIEW LOGO

INTERVIEW

This week on Tax Day interested citizens met in public places to demonstrate their concern about where the country is headed. I had the opportunity to talk to one of them.
Q: Did you attend this year’s rally in Scranton?
A: Yes I stopped by. I believe that people should make a stand and come out and voice their opinion on what’s wrong with the country.
Q: And what in your estimation is wrong with the country?
A: We are losing control, our country is slipping away from us, we need to do something about that.
Q: How is the country slipping away?
A: The debt, my grand children will be paying this bill.
Q: We’ll be dead by then, we won’t know.
A: We are being irresponsible. Money is being wasted. The Stimulus package is a good example.
Q: People benefited from that. You know anyone unemployed?
A: Yeah.
Q: The Stimulus package helped those on unemployment buy health care coverage for a reasonable price. That helped them buy items to live while they were out of work. Some people still are using that.
A: Okay but there’s waste in government and that has to be stopped.
Q: I agree. But there was tremendous amount of wasted money prior to this, right?
A: Yes but it has to stop. Our freedoms are slipping away.
Q: How? I mean we can still go from state to state without check points, you can do whatever you like as long as it’s legal, you can go to a rally or not go to a rally, no one is stopping you. How are my freedoms and your freedoms slipping away?
A: It’s the money man. The spending. My taxes are just too high.
Q: But that doesn’t impede your freedom, except the freedom to have more discretionary income. But taxes don’t stop us from being free, right.
A: Wrong. Taxes take away our ability to do more things with our money. And that gives us less freedom.
Q: Less freedom to spend or save but no one is busting down your door in the middle of the night, that’s my point. Let me ask you this, what are you mad about and who are you angry at?
A: I’m mad because things are getting out of control and I’m mat at the government. I hate government.
Q: But government allows us to live. Without government we’d have no roads such as they are, no laws, you can’t get rid of government. You can improve it.
A: Yes that’s right improve it, that’s what I’m after.
Q: Good we can agree on that. How do you propose we fix government?
A: By making our voices heard.
Q: Where?
A: At rallies like the Tea Party gatherings.
Q: How about at the ballot box that’s where the real change happens.
A: You are right.
Q: Maybe Monday is a much more important day than the Tea Party day.
A: Why?
Q: That’s the last day to register to vote. You can make your noise with your feet and mind. I guarantee the politicians will pay attention to that.
A: Okay. Good idea.
Q: I think we care about the country in the same way but we are just taking different paths.
A: You think?
Q: Sure. You’re thinking, involved.
A: Thanks. I’m just trying to figure this all out.
Q: We all are. But ultimately you need to form your political belief system on your own and stay away from the vitriolic phrases like “taking away our freedom”.
A: But they are, our freedom is at risk.
Q: Uh yeah, we’ll keep working on that freedom issue you got going there.