By Katie Kieffer
Mayflower at Dawn by Mike Haywood: www.mikehaywoodart.co.uk. Art used with permission.
I’d like my turkey well-done and my government raw this Thanksgiving.
Many Americans scrupulously maintain their health. They’re “up in the gym, working on their fitness,” while their government is a bloated gourmand. Amazingly, a few of the same Starbucks Skinny Latte-loving, granola-popping, treadmill-trotting Americans cheer Uncle Sam: “Eat more, government! Indulge! You can have whatever you want, cute little Gov!”
Meanwhile, beautiful celebrities and health gurus are gushing over the benefits of eating “raw.” This means that they eat “whole food” that has never been cooked. Their rationale is that cooking food is not natural and that any temperature above around 116 degrees Fahrenheit alters the enzymes in food – greatly decreasing nutritional value.
Our government loves to crack the whip on public schools that serve too much sugar, smokers, and Americans with rather large abdominal areas. But, ask the government to cut its budget or go “raw?” Forget it!
As a young professional, I understand that the government’s gluttony is not compassionate. I’m no silly rabbit – I know the government snags its “tricks” from those who have earned a lot (and incidentally create jobs) and gives them away to those who haven’t earned them. This way, everything is fair but nothing is just or practical.
This Thanksgiving, as you share large meals with family or friends; I challenge you to think about the size of the Thanksgiving power meal the Senate is preparing for itself. If Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Harry Reid and the Whitehouse have their way – the government’s Thanksgiving next year will be beyond bloated – it will burst.
The “government” that the Pilgrims sought wasn’t bloated with massive spending and tricked out with imaginary “God-given” rights to universal healthcare, as Sean Hannity mentioned this week on his radio show. The Pilgrims made the hard, sacrificial journey to America for freedom and opportunity – not government handouts that force dependency and yield control for Uncle Sam.
As young, professional Americans, we have become accustomed to government’s role in a distorted sense. We need to take our government back to “raw” – back to its natural and proper state, which, John Locke said in his Second Treatise of Civil Government is primarily to protect private property.
I sense that some young people have become hopeless since the House passed the healthcare bill. They want the economic hope and access to the American Dream that they thought they voted for last November – and still haven’t seen materialize. They think we’re on a one-way train to socialism and are worried about the massive financial burdens and a pending low-quality healthcare system. I think our government is steering us in that direction, but, more importantly, I believe it’s not a one-way ticket – yet.
My positive Thanksgiving message is that we, as young Americans, are still in control of the direction OUR train takes. We need to keep speaking up and letting our elected officials know what we want. And, we need to support election reform so we are no longer burdened with career politicians.
It will be a challenge, and freedom is worth it. Happy Thanksgiving.
I love it when people quote John Locke. It really fires me up for some reason…