Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr said, "Taxes are the price we pay for civilization." I grew up one of four boys in a working poor family. When I was 13 my father died and the government, through Social Security Survivor Benefits, paid to make sure I had a safe place to live, food on the table, and a measure of stability and security. I went to a public university on Pell Grants and Academic Scholarships. Every year I filed my 1040 and got some money back, and I needed it. Not this year though.
In this down economy I've been extremely fortunate to be full-time employed and I work hard as a freelancer. I make a decent income and I filed this year and where I normally see a refund I saw a big honking bill. And you know what, I was happy to pay it (well as happy anyone can be paying a bill).
You wouldn't have known it when I first saw the number, I cursed and yelled and said it was ridiculous, "I EARNED THIS MONEY!! ARRRRRR!!!!" Then I stepped back for a minute, stopped being upset at the number in front of me and started looking at the bigger picture.
I made more money than a lot of my countrymen, I live squarely in the middle class (what's left of it). I go to bed everyday with a full belly and plenty of toys and gadgets to play with when I wake up. I am incredibly fortunate.
I started thinking about all the things the government does for me, because of them I can walk to work everyday on well maintained city sidewalks, free from the fear of crime because of a good police force. I can use the internet, that the government helped invent, to do my job and to find new clients. Because of our justice system I can enter into contracts and know that they will be honored or that I will at least have a way to redress my concerns if they are not.
I know that the food I buy at the store won't make me sick. I know that if my apartment building catches fire there will be a response to put it out. I know that I can drive on well maintained roads to see my loved ones. I know that the other cars on the roads will have insurance in case of an accident and that my car will meet minimum safety requirements to protect me.
I also know that all of this and so much more is under attack. The government providing for the general welfare of the people is now endangered. It's endangered because of the knee-jerk reaction we all have to taxes.
With this bigger picture in mind though, I'm happy to pay this price to live in a civilized society. I'm happy to pay to make sure children have the same opportunities or better that I had. I'm happy that my taxes means some other little boy won't have to go hungry. I'm happy to be part of civilization, I work very hard for what I have but none of it can be done alone. My success is a function of my hard work, the opportunities I've had, and a lot of good luck. It's when we delude ourselves with the idea that success is only a function of hard work that we lose sight of reality.
Civilization is worth it and more, so I sent my check off to the IRS with a smile on my face. This doesn't mean the government is perfect or that every tax dollar is used the way I'd like to, but it's a message to the narcissistic childish fools on the right, spurning the civilization that brought them their wealth.