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Helping others is Christian thing to do; Lorraine D’Eramo; Beaver County Times; October 7, 2010.
In previous letters, Ms. D’Eramo said Sarah Palin wasn’t “a decent mother to her special-needs son and other four children” and “agree[d] with everything letter writer Lonzie Cox Jr. wrote in his May 26 letter to the editor (‘Democrats must act like Democrats’).” I didn’t critique the second letter (“Democrats should emulate tea partiers,” 6/6/10) and it’s no longer on the Times website. Other letters were entitled “Place the blame where it belongs” and “Don’t overlook Democrats’ good.”
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“For some reason, many Americans think helping people who are in need is socialism.”
[RWC] When the government takes from one person to give to another, that’s socialism.
“Most of us think it is the Christian thing to do because we are our brother’s keeper.”
[RWC] This letter has nothing to do with being a Christian, but it is all about socialist policies. As I describe at the end of the critique, there’s nothing Christian about telling the government to rob Peter to pay Paul.
“The majority of unemployed people would love to work and would be glad to pay taxes, but the Bush administration outsourced their jobs. People who do have jobs are doing the work of two or three people.”
[RWC] I think Ms. D’Eramo meant offshored, not outsourced, but she doesn’t tell us how Mr. Bush allegedly did this. As a reminder, Mr. Clinton signed the North American Free Trade Act (NAFTA).
Ms. D’Eramo apparently forgets President Bush applied tariffs (in 2002, I believe) to imported steel in a misguided effort to protect the domestic steel industry.
“Under the Clinton administration, everyone who wanted to work had a job. President Bill Clinton started workfare, which helped people get off welfare and become self-sufficient taxpayers.”
[RWC] Before the current recession caused by lefty policies/programs, unemployment was down to 4.4% during the Bush administration in April 2007. Around 5% is considered “full employment.”
As for “workfare,” it was an initiative of the Republican-majority Congress of the time, not Mr. Clinton. Mr. Clinton simply saw the political writing on the wall and signed the bill.
“Taxes for 98 percent of the people are lower than they were under Bush. We need to cut spending by politicians on both sides, but not by reducing social services. ‘What so ever you do unto the least of my brothers that you do unto me.’”
[RWC] This is a talking point repeated from Ms. D’Eramo’s letter “Place the blame where it belongs.” If someone is paying less in taxes today, it’s because he’s earning less income and/or spending less. This happens during recessions. There have been no tax rate decreases by the Obama administration, but it and Congress did enact tax rate increases on things like tobacco. The Obama administration and the Democrat-majority Congress so far have done nothing to make sure the 2003 “Bush tax rate cuts” don’t expire on January 1, 2011.
“Health-care reform will close the Medicare doughnut hole and provide medicine for people who wouldn’t be able to afford it. The only thing it eliminates is fraud and waste.”
[RWC] If Ms. D’Eramo would so some research beyond reading Democrat/lefty propaganda, she would find Obamacare took $500 billion from Medicare.
“Hate and bigotry are not Christian or family values.”
[RWC] Is the government taking from one family’s paycheck to give to someone who didn’t earn it “Christian or family values?” If so, I missed those classes during my 12 years of Catholic education. There is nothing altruistic or charitable about telling government to rob from Peter to pay Paul. Charity is when a person freely chooses to use his own paycheck to help someone in need.
Where did the comment about “Hate and bigotry” come from? Does Ms. D’Eramo believe it’s “Hate and bigotry” to oppose leftist policies and programs?
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