An Open Letter To President Bush From The Common Man

The Reality Check ^ | 03 February 2004 | Judson Cox

[Lando Lincoln]

Mr. President, I know you are busy, and I think you are doing a terrific job saving the free world from Islamic Fascism. You’ve got my vote; however, I have a bit of a concern. Let me get this right, I get up earlier than I’d wish to every day, burn a fresh hole in my gut with the first of several cups of coffee, drive a car I can barely afford gas for, to a job I don’t really like. There, I stand for eight to ten hours on concrete floors, unloading trucks, stocking shelves, running a cash register and doing a hundred other mind numbing tasks. I return home exhausted, with my feet, back and knees aching, to a house I can’t really afford. Now, Mr. President, can you explain why you think it is a good idea to take a portion of my hard earned money, and give it to the National Endowment for the Arts?

Mr. President, I like art. I don’t really enjoy musical theater, but I like Shakespeare. I love literature, and have stacks of books packing my shelves. Those books, I mostly bought used; I didn’t receive a government grant. I also enjoy the visual arts, especially film, and I’m not unfamiliar with painting and photography – I even have a few favorite artists. However, I don’t have the time to go to many museums. I work, Mr. President, and I go to school; one day, when I can afford it, I will probably have a family. I don’t see myself being able to indulge in art appreciation any time soon.

I know that you and your friends have the time and money for such cultural pursuits; what I don’t understand, is why you think I should have to pay for your pleasure and edification. Oh, but there I go being crass and selfish by bringing money into the hallowed arts. I know you just cannot put a price tag on the artistic projects funded by the NEA. What is the value of a crucifix suspended in urine, photographs of men with bull-whips up their anuses, the Mother of God smeared with dung, an American flag used as a door mat or a “performance artist” smearing chocolate sauce on herself? Surely, it is more valuable than the food on my table, the health insurance I cannot afford or the savings I would like to accumulate for the family I hope to raise. And by the way, Mr. President, I don’t want you to pay for my insurance or my future children either; unlike the governing elite, I pay my own way.

Mr. President, allow me to offer you a brief synopsis of the free market. If a good or service has a value, people will buy it. Things of value do not require government subsidization. Good art will sell or be sponsored by wealthy patrons, while inferior art will fail. The intrinsic value of art is too subjective for one person or a committee to judge; such evaluations are best left to the free market. The works of Monet and Beethoven will endure forever, not because they are subsidized, but because people are willing to pay to experience them. The pet projects of anti-American, anti-Christian, gay activist bureaucratic art snobs will fail. If an artist is starving, it is because his art is lousy (and he is too lazy to apply for food stamps).

Mr. President, I appreciate your noble sentiments. I understand that you see the value of art, and want to share it with the world. You want America’s children to be edified by history’s masterpieces. You believe that every citizen (and maybe some “undocumented immigrants”) deserves the same cultural experiences that you and your wealthy friends enjoy. But please, Mr. President, pay for it out of your own pocket; pass the hat to Edwards, Kerry, Corzine, Kennedy and Rockefeller while you’re at it. The funds for the NEA come from income taxes, which are mostly paid by the rich, and therefore very little of this burden will be carried by me. However, I’d prefer that the wealthy (who pay my salary) be allowed to keep more of their money so that they can give me a pay raise. All of us would benefit from the arts, but many of us are just trying to survive. We could survive a lot better if you and your friends would take your hands out of our pockets!

Sincerely,

An Average American

Judson Cox is a political columnist from the mountains of North Carolina. He is quickly gaining recognition as one of the most popular and influential voices of his generation. As a college student, and Director of Communication for the Foundation for Conservative American Values, he has a unique perspective on matters of politics, economics and culture.

His fiercely independent style and pugilistic wit make for a column that is always entertaining, often inspiring and frequently "laugh out loud" funny. With a humor akin to P.J. O'Rourke and Dave Barry, and a plain spoken southern wisdom that matches Charlie Daniels, his confrontational style lies somewhere between Ann Coulter and Merle Haggard.

[AbsoluteJustice]

"I thought the point about NEA funding was rather well written. But he destroyed his whole argument with all the whining about his job. It would have gotten an A from me, but that crybaby routine brings it down to a C-"

You miss the point of the article. It was to point out what the hard working American is thinking, busting their bottoms tilling the farms, stocking the grocery stores, punching a clock at a factory, etc,etc.

[AbsoluteJustice]

"Or just maybe if he had a better job I would believe that this fictional worker might actually pay taxes. I'm sorry but the loading dock worker and shelf stocker who can barely afford gas, are not the "common man". They are more like the entry-level summer employment/part time teenager or if an actual adult they would fall into the category of LOSER unless they got their job through Melwood."

Apparently you have never traveled into Western Texas. This may not be true where you live but htis does represent a great number of Americans working to fund a corrupt government.

[AbsoluteJustice]

"And the single person making that much money is still contributing more to the tax base than the much vaunted "family of four earning $40,000 or less." They pay zero federal income tax and a good chunk of them get most of their payroll taxes kicked back to them via the (un)Earned Income Tax Credit. Meanwhile the single people and high earners are carrying them."

That is funny, I got more back from the Guberment being single living in an apartment then I do now with a 2 working adult household with a child.

Explain this one to me.

[AbsoluteJustice]

"Ok, allow me to follow your logic. Those folks who worked in factories, my father's generation, sometimes called "America's Greatest Generation". The ones who fought in WWII, worked in factories, and brought their kids up to believe that working for a living is honorable. They are a bunch of losers right? They lack what it takes?
Just want to be sure I have the concepts straight."

Ooooo but they are but the Serfs of the kingdom aren't they?
/sarcasm off

[AbsoluteJustice]

"If the common man is in fact a victim, he is a victim only of his own lack of discipline and motivation."

No he is a victim of a government that is unconstitutional in their acts and their taxation of the people, expanding government at such a rate it has made its serfs dependant upon the government!

[American_Centurion]

The point of my rant was that no one is going to gain much sympathy from those of us bearing the lions share of the burden by first setting themselves up as the victim. If you want to get your point across about how your taxes are spent it's best not to make it obvious that you barely pay any.

[American_Centurion]

No one is a serf. You can work hard and make your own way.

Regarding your earlier post about West Texas, if it sucks so bad there are 49 other states they can go to. Why would they want to stay? There must be something there that makes them happy, if not then they're just stupid.

[Orangedog]

That is funny, I got more back from the Guberment being single living in an apartment then I do now with a 2 working adult household with a child.

Explain this one to me.

Sure, just post your 1040 and I'll look it over for you ;)

[MosesKnows]

If you want to get your point across about how your taxes are spent it's best not to make it obvious that you barely pay any.

Considering that 50% of the taxpayers pay 96% of the income taxes it is already fairly obvious that the other 50% of the taxpayers only have to pay the remaining 4% of the income taxes but your point is well taken.

Now, how do you feel about my observation that the federal government is not empowered to spend the public treasury's funds on unconstitutional subsidies?

[American_Centurion]

What the FedGov is and is not empowered to according to the constitution went out the window long before you and I were born.

That said, there are a myriad of "programs" and entitlements I don't agree with but we can only elect those our votes can touch. Granted President Bush is proposing spending on some outlandish programs, but I have to agree with what Rush thinks he is doing, trying to wipe out the Democratic party.

Aside from that what are our options:
1. Vote third party or independent and watch the hardcore lefties get power back.

2. Complete people versus the government revolution? Not likely to gain enough support to do anything other than die in place.

3. Try the old secession thingy again? High probability of an identical outcome to number 2.

4. Accept that a lot of our money is going to be completly wasted, and try to elect enough people with similar values in the effort to reign in some of that spending and place judges who do thier duty instead of making new laws.

Articles similar to this one do have a useful place in the process, but who and what does this particular article really hurt? IMO this article is more harmful to the conservative cause by way of it's use of victimology and it's sideswipe at President Bush the only electable candidate on November's ticket who resembles a conservative.

[Delta-Tango]

I, like others here, believe President Bush should be a tax cuttin, budget reducing fanatic.

Oh....you want him to be a REPUBLICAN!

Well, it's an election year and you'll have to clear that with Karl Rove. Sending pork to the red states, making illegal alien voters feel loved, and giving non-means-tested prescription drugs to seniors comes first, remember? Thanks for the clarification, though.

Maybe if he's re-elected we can all sign a letter or petition and send it to him, reminding him he's a Republican? Can't hurt, eh?

[AbsoluteJustice]

"Regarding your earlier post about West Texas, if it sucks so bad there are 49 other states they can go to. Why would they want to stay? There must be something there that makes them happy, if not then they're just stupid."

You have such a closed view on how the world operates. I am very successful in the IT industry. Sure I have setbacks but I have a great understanding on how hard the working class is sucked dry by the government. I look to my father spending many hard nights in GM so that you can afford the luxury of driving your automobile in the largest industrial nation in the world. In turn this put dinner on our table and kept his family fed. Your words speak miles, it personifies those late night wine sipping parties where the conversation is about "those people" on the other side of town that operate "my factory". Over laughter and more conversation on how to dominate the freeworld you light a cigar relishing over the conquests of the next day. Next day comes and to squeeze in that extra MIL in bonus money you cut 100 people. Typical huh? How do I know this? I worked for Arthur Andersen. But I wouldn't expect you to understand this. Then again this is not really what the article was pointing to. The premise of the article is that guberment is sucking the working class dry so that the wine drinking class can hit that one last bottle over merry talk (congressmen and senators) Make sense to you?

[Enterprise]

Uh, huge grin here! Good post.

[American_Centurion]

Sorry to reply so late, I've been out of town for almost a week.

You have a totally false perception of my life. I was born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, if you don't know that is not the mouth in Louisiana it is in Mississippi. My family was not even close to wealthy, I never went to any school that wasn't public, and being white I was a minority in the 5% ratio in my graduating class. So with the obviously near non-existent tax base in my school district I probably got an education on par with many inner-city schools if not worse. I tried my hand at college with loans and part time work, failed miserably and had to leave. I joined the military, slowly improved my education and experience over 12 years and when I left I more than doubled my pay as an E-5. I now, due only to hard work and diligence, make so close to 6 figures that it practically is such and during the last 13 years managed to be married and have 3 kids. I have my wine and cigars due to me working my ass off and bettering myself. Anyone else in this country can do the same.

So don't tell me about your father's factory job, because my dad would have been thrilled shitless to have a factory near enough to work in. My Dad told me the reason we were poor was because he stayed there in that armpit of the state, and he urged all his kids to leave and better themselves.

Like I said before if there's nothing in West Texas (read any crappy location in the US) to make you happy you should leave. And I stand by that statement.