BENTON COUNTY — The long-awaited decision on the validity of Obamacare was finally handed down by the United States Supreme Court.
At this writing, the world has not come to an end as some projected if it was approved rather than found to be illegal. Now, it seems the government has found a way to “make” us do anything, or everything, by passing a law. The key seems to be a simple word - tax. If you identify the mandate as a “tax” rather than a penalty, or a fine, or any other reasonable or appropriate term, the Supreme Court can ultimately validate your law no matter its constitutionality by other legal terms.
Using the reasoning of the recent decision, you can be fined - no, I mean taxed - if you aren’t speeding. We generally think of a penalty being assessed for violating a law - such as speeding or stealing, etc. And, if caught, you pay a penalty - a fine, not a tax. But, by the logic of this new ruling, a whole new avenue of controlling our behavior has been provided. The gun control lobby will be able to initiate a movement to “tax” you for having a personaldefense weapon contrary to the Constitution. It appears to me the “personal freedom” option we have always taken for granted has given way to how far the Supreme Court is willing to stretch its ruling so it doesn’t offend the administration in power.
The years of observing change in our nation cause me concern for the future of my grandchildren as I have noted before. There are too many activities available that are directed at keeping people busy and constantly engaged in pleasure. If we keep people running from one event to another, they will lose sight of the power grab going on in Washington. The violence in movies (in theaters and on television) cannot be helpful in conditioning our younger generation to look at the world as a place where peace should be thegoal. And, being busy is becoming an acceptable excuse for not knowing when you are losing your freedom. Ask any memberof Congress if they read the bill in question.
Whatever the outcome of the mandated changes in our healthcare field, America’s political scene continues to gravitate to a wide philosophical void between Democrats and Republicans. The methods used by both parties to achieve their goals are the same - both seem willing to destroy personal freedom to meet their objectives. Whether this will lead to a change in political party control in November remains to be seen, but the debate will become much more personal and the TEA Party will have an opportunity to gain additional political strength as the rhetoric heats up.
Even though we were not personally involved in the school millage election in the Bentonville School District, it was interesting at the methods used to try to sell the voters on their approval of the increase.
Apparently, a majority of those informed on the issue felt “enough is enough” and the 30 years of bondage (pun intended) was too much. Having gone through the process of trying to provide adequate facilities for my sons’ education, and then observing them trying to provide the same opportunities for their children, the outcome at Bentonville didn’t surprise me. Our household contributes to both the Pea Ridge and Rogers School districts and as households with no children or grandchildren in either district, we are paying out of a desire to contribute to the future of our community. Having the years of experience to call on, we view it as a privilege, not an obligation. However, we also question where the facilities themselves become the object of the millage increase and not the quality of the education.
These two issues seem tied together - the mandated insurance coverage and the voters’ choice to tax themselves or not tax.
Could it be an awakening to the fact that we are selling our future when we expect everything to come to us from the government?
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Editor’s note: Leo Lynch, a native of Benton County has deep roots in northwest Arkansas. He is a retired industrial engineer and former Justice of the Peace. He can be contacted at prtnews@ nwaonline.com.
Opinion, Pages 4 on 07/04/2012