Rich Clingers

I should be a liberal.  I spent almost 20 years being buffeted by big corporation competition making 10 to 30 thousand a year.  But it teaches you to be rich in other things—faith, family and friends and even sidelines like becoming versed in local history and rooting for a sports team.  Especially important is the faith. 

So when I listen to some say that I should hate the rich who don’t pay a fair share, I find myself asking, “Isn’t that almost a pure definition of envy, the sin of the last commandment?  And if the rich pay 39% federal and all sorts of state and local taxes which come to 52%, well, how much do the Dems want?  100% and the guillotine like the French did?  Or is it some lesser number that will simply drive their job creation out of the country? 

And what’s this stuff about compassion in government?  Government doesn’t have compassion, it has entitlements.  If you are entitled, then there is no sympathy.  If you want to promote compassion, go visit the jails and talk to young men who have ruined their lives.  Help them get their lives and faith together.  Or take a poor family or an immigrant family under your wing.  Teach them budgeting or English and make friends.  Or take in a foster kid, a system kid who has all the entitlements from the government but doesn’t have a true blue family.  If the homeless bother you, take one home and give them a home.  But compassion in government?  It was two government guys who passed the dying man Jesus taught about and the Samaritan who was “good” because he stopped and did his best in the situation. 

It was Jesus who asked to see a Roman coin, the one with Caesar’s image and proclaimed him a god.  And then he said to his Jewish audience who knew “Love the Lord with all your heart”,  “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s”.  So much for the love of big government! He told a story about how three men were given different amounts of money and the guy who didn’t risk anything but just buried the money for security was thrown in prison while the richest risk-taker was additionally given what little the cradle-to-grave security guy had. Evidently God loves a risk-taker, like Peter who tried to walk on water or Paul who gave up everything for the gospel.  God, the risk-taker is a Father in the lesson of the Prodigal Son who risks his son going bad, then welcomes him with open arms when he does.  God, the ultimate risk-taker came to earth to be despised and smitten and crucified alongside enemies of the state just to gain us.

I guess Obama would call me a Clinger, although I’m not bitter and the only gun I own is a pellet gun. I don’t fall for the rich-bashing and the lure of government goodies or all the sweet talk about unity/hope/change if only I will give up my beliefs.  The guy I follow doesn’t offer much cradle-to-grave security, but He offers eternity with Him.  He told the story about a rich man who thought everything concerned money and possessions—like materialistic political philosophies and socialism do.  God called him “Thou fool”.  

I can’t wear that shoe because it doesn’t fit.  Here, Mr. Progressive, you try it on. 

The guys I would memorialize first on Memorial Day were the ones who walked wide-eyed into the certain knowledge that if they lost, they were dead men.  If the Revolution went bad, Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, and other nameless soldiers would be hung and called traitors forever.  Still, they risked all for the fight for freedom.  They were first to cling to faith and liberty.  "Is security so sweet or peace so dear?" yelled a young Clinger from the back of the Virginia commonwealth as the others debated whether to join the cause. Heads rose to listen. "Is security so sweet or peace so dear that it must be bought at the price of chains and even slavery?  I know not what others may do, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"  Patrick Henry lost both sons and died penniless after the war.  But when you are remembered for a gallant, defiant phrase that lives hundreds of years later, that swayed the key state to join the Revolt, that bought millions of people freedom in the most wonderful country ever conceived, that ain't dying in poverty, that's Rich.