On buying freedom, with an income tax

"It's what we pay to live in a free country."

and other non-sensical ideas

Of all the stupid notions of justification for the so-called income tax I've heard, this has to be the most idiotic of all. If Americans owed anything to anyone for having a country founded on the principals of individual Liberty and self-governance, it would be to those that stood in harms way to have it and keep it. To those past and present who have paid the ultimate price in winning Liberty. We owe nothing to any lily-livered vote-buyers in Washington D.C.

"The individual may stand upon his constitutional rights as a citizen. He is entitled to carry on his private business in his own way. His power to contract is unlimited. He owes no duty to the state or to his neighbors to divulge his business, or to open his doors to an investigation, so far as it may tend to criminate him. He owes no such duty to the state, since he receives nothing therefrom, beyond the protection of his life and property.

His rights are such as existed by the law of the land long antecedent to the organization of the state, and can only be taken from him by due process of law, and in accordance with the Constitution. Among his rights are a refusal to incriminate himself, and the immunity of himself and his property from arrest or seizure except under a warrant of the law. He owes nothing to the public as long as he does not trespass upon their rights."Hale v. Henkel, 201 U.S. 43

Exactly how does sending money to the federal government, based on what you earn by the way, not on the legitimate cost of government, pay for anyones freedom anyway?? People that produce, pay for the social programs that make others into hopeless dependents. What does that have to do with freedom?? No, the price of Liberty has little to do with money.

But, we are constantly told by our servants in Congress and others in and around federal government that our freedom creates certain "responsibilities" for us to see to, by way of sending our cash to them for re-distribution to those that they determine need it more then we do. As if they are the great providers of our freedom in the first place.

"...at the Revolution, the sovereignty devolved on the people; and they are
truly the sovereigns of the country, but they are sovereigns without subjects..
with none to govern but themselves; the citizens of America are equal as fellow
citizens, and as joint tenants in the sovereignty."
CHISHOLM v. GEORGIA (US) 2 Dall 419, 454, 1 L Ed 440, 455 @DALL 1793 pp. 471-472.

What exactly is "the responsibility of freedom"? I've heard many times that you can't have freedom without "the responsibility". It is always thrown out there as if the responsibility is to let government have whatever it is crying for in exchange for "allowing" our freedom.

It goes right along with the other stupidest of comments, "it's the price you have to pay for freedom". That line is constantly attached to any discussion of income taxes and has to be one of the all time stupidest things I have ever heard uttered by people that are at least intelligent enough to tie their own shoes and walk in a straight line.

Can you see it? The responsibility of freedom is to protect, nurture, nourish, keep, hold, excercise, and honor it. To understand, and to completely comprehend that if there be any single one person in this entire nation without right to Liberty, then we are all without Liberty. If we will not freely be bound by this reality, the true responsibility of freedom, Liberty suffers for all. My freedom and your freedom are the same, I can not restrict yours, without restricting mine. The responsibility is to hold Liberty as sacred with respect to the fact that to do otherwise is to diminish ourselves.

The responsibility is to protect freedom. To stand up to those who would seek to diminish it. To remain ever vigilante against the beast of government that would always seek to diminish our most precious of assets, Liberty. This is the never-ending job of the Sovereign individual. We can not buy our freedom from our elected representatives, nor can we abdicate our responsibilities to protect Liberty for all, and enjoy any for ourselves.

"Sovereignty itself is, of course, not subject to the law, for it is the author
and source of law, but in our system, while sovereign powers are delegated to
the agencies of government, sovereignty itself remains with the people, by whom
and for whom all government exists and acts." - "For, the very idea that one
man may be compelled to hold his life, or the means of living, or any material
right essential to the enjoyment of life, at the mere will of another, seems to
be intolerable in any country where freedom prevails, as being the essence of
slavery itself." Yick Wo v. Hopkins, Sheriff, 118 U.S. 356.

Individual Liberty is a most precious concept in any day and age, but here today in 2009 it may be even more precious as it is almost completely forgotten. The desire that all people would enjoy its blessings brought about the birth of our nation in 1776. Today's widespread ignorance of this concept enables the current decay of our society as socialists try to brainwash us with the concept of more government improves everything.

While many people today wrongly believe that we exist only at the whimsy of the temporary occupants of the White House and Congress. The real truth is still that the only authority held by these people is ours. "We the People" authorize government through our Constitution, our Sovereignty is inherent to us as a result of the unparalleled courage of our forebearers, whom we should honor by never forgetting.

The spirit of the times may alter, will alter. Our rulers will become corrupt, our people careless. A single zealot may become persecutor, and better men be his victims. It can never be too often repeated, that the time for fixing every essential right, on a legal basis, is while our rulers are honest, and ourselves united. From the conclusion of this war (revolution) we shall be going down hill. It will not then be necessary to resort every moment to the people for support. They will be forgotten, therefore, and their rights disregarded. They will forget themselves, but in the sole faculty of making money, and will never think of uniting to effect a due respect for their rights. The shackles, therefore, which shall not be knocked off at the conclusion of the war, will remain on us long, will be made heavier and heavier, till our rights shall revive or expire in a convulsion.

There are two subjects which I shall claim a right to further as long as I have breath: the public education and the subdivision of the counties into wards (townships). I consider the continuance of Republican government as absolutely hanging on these two hooks. Where every man is a sharer in the direction of his ward republic or of some of the higher ones, and feels that he is a participator in the government of affairs, not merely at an election one day in the year, but every day; when there shall not be a man in the State who shall not be a member of some one of its councils, great or small, he will let the heart be torn out of his body sooner then his power be wrested from him by a Caesar or Bonaparte.

Thomas Jefferson
©Jon D. Luman 2002