Letter: We have decided to care for those who need help

Responding to John Macrito’s letter published on Thursday, Oct. 27: I too have read and considered Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense,” published in January 1776. Paine’s ideas distinguished and promoted a republic, his hope for the colonies, from England’s inherited monarchy.

I disagree with Paine’s calling government “evil” since, as he stated, its “necessary” purpose is to protect us from “our wickedness” by “restraining our vices.”

I also disagree about limitation of “security” to the military and local law enforcement. Do we not want – expect – the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, the money we save, and the products we buy to be safe? Without government protection, they are not always, because some people, in their wickedness – greed – are ruled by a personal goal – money – when not restrained by laws and regulations.

In 1776, the colonies’ population was 2.5 million and rural. Today, the United States has a population of over 330 million people and is 80% urban (census.gov). In a small rural society, people can more easily care for family and friends who are ill or disabled. But today, we may not know many of our neighbors. We have fewer children, and many of them have moved further away, leaving fewer to care for the aged.

Our government is imperfect. But we have decided to care for those who need help. Common sense is said to be quite uncommon; please consider that, if we aren’t willing and/or able to care for those in need, we are committing an act of omission by not uniting behind our people and seeing to it that we, through our government, provide that care. No “free stuff?”

Finally, Thomas Paine looked at the reasons for the people’s discontent. He made a “plan for popular education, relief of the poor, pensions for aged people, and public works for the unemployed, all to be financed by the levying of a progressive income tax.”

Beth A. Holland

McHenry