APRIL 15, 2006
Tax
day - one day of the year we pay into a system designed to serve and protect the citizens of this great land. I am not sure I feel so secure on this tax day, in part because less and less of my tax dollars are going to preserve the creation I love.
Security is only talked about in terms of the enemies from afar who blow up trains and planes, but there is a long term security issue that makes me lose sleep at night because it is off the radar screen of a majority of Americans; especially those who live in a few square miles called Washington DC, the seat of power that impacts the lives of millions in billions of square miles around the globe.
I am more of a butter, not guns type of person, even though I do support a strong defense, but a weak offence. Pre-emptive war is beyond my Judeo-Christian understanding, but a pre-emptive war against creation is even more egregious. My tax dollars are given willingly for the most part, but I wish we had more dollars going to CPR for our nation.
Conservation, preservation and restoration is low on the budget agenda today, yet the most important dollars spent will be those to insure the long term security of the environment for our children. More children will die from lung diseases, water borne illnesses, and poison from chemicals than terrorist bombs or bullets. Security comes in many forms, and I hope that a few more of my tax dollars are for this kind of security.
Tax day is the day I reflect on the system I want to see in my ideal world. It is a world where the politics of money does not influence those who legislate my family's future. It is a world where short term gain takes a back seat to long term vision.
It is a world where my vote goes to the person who cares most about others, and secondly about self.
April 15, in the year 2005, is not just a day set aside to give back to the government, it is a day where we can ask, is the government giving back to us? I need a little more focus on the security in the area of clean water, clean air, clean soils, and clean living, on the part of my leaders. Maybe one year I will give my tax money to someone who will preserve a portion of creation for my children. That will make me sleep better at night knowing that someone is doing something for them.
--Peter