The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Greetings to ever one in Western Illinois and all readers of The Quill. I'm a hope'n this column finds ya all has plans to celebrate the day set aside fer our countries independence in a proper fashion.
U.S. A Great Country
Ours is a great country, second to none and I am so thankful our forefathers sacrificed to bless us with its great gifts of freedom. Some folk has a hard time understand'n us, however. I recently received a list of 10 reasons the Canadians find the United States quite puzzle'n to them.
10 Reasons
10) Only in the U.S. could politicians talk about the greed of the rich at a $35,000.00 a plate campaign fund-raising event.
9) Only in the U.S. could people claim that the government still discriminates against black Americans when they have a black President, a black Attorney General, and roughly 18% of the federal workforce is black while only 12% of the population is black.
8) Only in the United States they have had the two people most responsible for this tax code, Timothy Geither (The head of the Treasury Department) and Charles Rangel (who once ran the ways and means committee), both tax cheats who are in favor of higher taxes.
7) Only in the United States would they make people who want to legally become American Citizens wait fer years in their home countries and pay tens of thousands of dollars fer the privilege, while they discuss lett'in anyone who sneaks into the country illegally just "magically" become American Citizens.
6) Only in the United States can they have terrorists kill people in the name of Allah and have the media primarily react by fretting that Muslims might be harmed by the backlash.
5) Only in the United States could the people who believe in balancing the budget and sticking by the countries constitution be thought of as "extremists".
4) Only in the United States could you need to present a driver's license to cash a check or buy alcohol, but not to vote.
3) Only in the United States could people demand the government investigate whether oil companies are gouging the public because the price of gas went up when the return on equity invested in a major U.S. oil company (Marathon Oil) is less than half of a company making tennis shoes (Nike). And folk complain, on the price of a gallon of gas, which costs much to obtain, discover and process, while drinking a 1 pint commercial bottle of water with a gallon costing more than twice the gallon of gas and yet water is free at many public locations.
2) Only in the United States could the government collect more tax dollars from the people than any nation in recorded history, still spend a trillion dollars more than it has per year-fer total spending of $7 million per minute, and complain that it doesn't have nearly enough money.
At the same time to finance Obamacare with a 2.3% Medical Excise tax on taxable medical devices beginning January 1. The special tax is applied to Sport fishing equipment, fishing rods and fishing poles; electric outboard motors; fishing tackle boxes; bows, quivers, broadheads, and points; arrow shafts; coal; taxable tires; gas guzzler automobiles; and vaccines. (All supposedly taxable medical devices?)
1) Only in the United States could the rich people-who pay 86% of all income taxes, be accused of not paying their "fair share" by people who don't pay any taxes at all.
Well, these ten puzzle'n reasons to the Canadians, shore do give one pause for thought. I'm a guess'n me and the boys is a gonna have to reflect on em fer a spell.
Great Truths
Other Great Truths to reflect on fer this 4th of July:
Benjamin Franklin- "I am for doing good to the poor, but...I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. I observed...that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer."
"In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress." John Adams
"A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul." George Bernard Shaw
"A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money." G. Gordon Liddy
"I contend that a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle." Winston Churchill
"Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner." James Bovard, civil libertarian (1994)
"Giving money and power to the government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys." Paul J. O'Rourke
"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: It it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving subsidize it." Ronald Reagan (1986)
"If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free!" P.J. O'Rourke
"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have." Thomas Jefferson
Thar ya has it then-food fer thought. That's all fer this column folks, there ain't no more.
Have a good week and where ever ya is, what ever ya be do'n, BE A GOOD ONE!
Hope'n to see you'ns in church this weekend.
Keep on Smile'n
Catch ya later
In neighborhood love
Barnyard Bruke