My wife and I reminisced about how we could remember when people said merry Christmas and no one got offended. Unfortunately, those days have passed. Regarding Christmas, the nativity scene and a few unpleasant words like Christmas, Jesus, and bless you have become evil-speak. I am intrigued by those offended by any words I just mentioned. Apparently they need a little history reminder.
Before our time, millions of Americans died to preserve our rights to: speak freely, carry guns, pay our fair share of taxes, worship as we please, and to choose our own sexuality. Sadly, a disturbing trend of so-called Americans wants us to revert back to the days of King George III and remove liberties given to us by our ancestors. Since everyone is so offended about the holidays, I want to share some wisdom about a few topics for 2010:
Gays in the military/Gays: As a U.S. Army veteran, I am not opposed to gays in the military or anywhere. Let me share a secret with you—gays have always been in the military—present and past. If you pay attention, you will find gays in every profession. Although I am heterosexual, I don’t have an issue with homosexuals. What others do in their bedrooms doesn’t concern me and shouldn’t concern you.
Several years ago, I had a friend who told his parents he was gay. Naturally, they overreacted and evicted him. His parents loved him until they found out what he was doing in his bedroom. Once Mom and Dad learned he was gay, they decided that they no longer loved him.
Call me foolish, but that’s absurd. People should accept others for who they are. If they don’t conform to your religious beliefs, that doesn’t make them horrible people. It only means they disagree with you.
Merry Christmas: If this offends you, then move to Iraq, North Korea, Cuba, or China. But don’t try to take Christmas away from those who love it. If you don’t like Christmas, then donate your holiday pay to charity and volunteer at a soup kitchen. If the worst thing anyone does is wish you a merry Christmas, you must not be worrying about unemployment, taxes, or your future.
What a perfect life you must be living.
Racism: Wake up, it will soon be 2011. Why do we still even have racism? Didn’t Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln already proclaim everyone as equals? Although both men are long dead, their message is still clear—love your neighbor.
Are we even listening?
Welfare/Unemployment: Not everyone who collects unemployment or welfare is a good-for-nothing bum. In 2010, banks collapsed, unemployment rose, and businesses closed their doors. With such a bad economy, Americans experienced financial problems and homelessness. Don’t judge someone who collects unemployment or government assistance. Remember that you and nearly everyone you know is only a paycheck or two away from becoming homeless.
Taxes: The entire tax code is a complex mess of jargon that needs to be simplified. And don’t be so hard on the IRS because they only enforce policies created by the politicians you voted into office. The tax system is unfair because some people pay more taxes than others. The only way to create a fair tax system is to create a national sales tax.
For instance, anything under $100 would include a 10% tax and anything from $100 to $500 might carry a 15% tax. This guarantees everyone pays the same amount. And no one would have to file taxes or get arrested for tax evasion. So why hasn’t anyone thought of this? Simple, because it will never happen. Tax breaks are political incentives given to businesses to collect campaign donations and votes. Change the tax system and politicians could no longer incentivize businesses to fund their campaigns.
Health insurance: Yes, it’s unconstitutional to force Americans to pay for health insurance. Sorry, health insurance carries the same God-given right as a driver’s license—none. I can understand legalization of auto insurance because it establishes liability whenever an accident occurs. Here’s what Americans really need—affordable care. Most Americans would purchase health insurance if they could afford it. But most families can’t afford $500-$1,000 monthly insurance premiums. We prefer spending our money on other foolish things like rent, food, clothing, and transportation.
Well, that’s about it for 2010. I am sure we will have more to address in the upcoming year.
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