The concept of fairness in America has been horribly and tragically distorted under the Obama administration. President Obama and his left wing counterparts have spent the last three years screaming from the mountaintops that the “Rich” need to pay their fair share. Time and time again President Obama has had the audacity to pursue an economic policy agenda that creates a mythical sense of economic fairness instead of legitimate economic stability. Logic, history, and reason be damned, this administration seeks to redistribute the wealth and punish the evil and villainous rich no matter what the consequences may be.
President Obama’s definition of fairness is fiscal equality; that my friends is flawed logic. This administration seeks to manufacture fiscal fairness by lowering the ceiling to raise the floor. Punishing the successful does nothing to help the unsuccessful, it in fact harms them by taking liquid cash out of the marketplace. If your house were on fire would you want the firefighters to come put your house out, or light every house in the neighborhood on fire to establish a sense of equality? This is essentially what the Obama administration is attempting to do. In lieu of actually developing sound economic policy and creating jobs, the liberals seek to punish the wealthy in a veiled attempt to appease the poor and make them feel better. That’s Obama’s flawed and dangerous definition of fairness.
The beautiful thing about America is everyone has opportunity if they choose to pursue it. I do understand that the playing field is not even, however nowhere on earth is there ever an even playing field. The “Equal Playing Field” concept is an abstract utopian idea that does not account for familial and generational success; it is unrealistic to assume that each generation will destroy its wealth instead of passing it on to the next. A great motivator of mankind is working to better the lives of those to come. The “Equal Playing Field” rhetoric discounts the very nature of who we are as a people.
Nevertheless, in the United States everyone is at least able to climb the proverbial ladder to success. Every citizen and most residents have access to public education. Although public schools systems vary in quality, all schools are held to a minimum standard by federal and state organizations. Even a student in the most disadvantaged, downtrodden area is still afforded the opportunity to succeed. The unfortunate reality is that some individuals must work harder to climb the ladder than others but the opportunity to climb still exists. It is of great importance that we remember nowhere in the Constitution are we guaranteed the right to an easy climb. I understand overcoming difficult circumstances is often arduous, tedious, tiresome and grueling. However, if an individual fails to graduate high school, fails to enroll in a GED program or vocational school, fails to join the military, fails to apply for Pell grants or subsidized education assistance, and fails to utilize job training programs, taxpayers and society should not be held liable for their lack of motivation.
I used to volunteer at a homeless shelter in Atlanta. During that time I had the pleasure of witnessing individuals go from homeless with no education, to earning their GED, or in some cases, even graduating college. Overcoming difficult circumstances is possible; all it takes is work ethic, desire to succeed, dedication and determination. No nation can promise easy access to prosperity but here, everyone has access to acquire the tools necessary for success.
Furthermore, if an individual finds himself or herself in a difficult life situation, be it a drug addiction, alcoholism, or even an unplanned pregnancy, society should not be held liable for circumstances they created for themselves. This great land is full of opportunity; if an individual fails to attain success it is his or her own fault. This is a nation where personal responsibility trumps all else. I have worked long and hard to set myself up for success and I should not be punished for someone else’s failure to do the same. The United States is filled with charitable organizations that exist to catch individuals when they fall and get them back on their feet. Americans give more to charity than any other people group on the planet. If someone does not seek help they have made a conscious decision to fail, as sad and unfortunate as that is, taxpayers should not be held liable for their mistakes.
I’m Shane Wright, and I’m changing the world, one outburst at a time.
