Early this week, my daughter’s fourth grade class began imposing a one penny tax on the first graders every time they enter or exit their room, sharpen their pencil, get a tissue or use hand sanitizer. They have sometimes allowed the first graders to pay voluntarily and sometimes they have stood at the class door and waited for their payment. Within two days, the first graders were frustrated and broke. So, yesterday, while my daughters class was at lunch, the first graders went into her class and scattered tissues all over the room, took their pencil sharpener and placed tea bags onto every desk. It is an elementary revolution!
My daughter told me that later today, her class is planning to blockade the first grade class and force them to pay more pennies for their rebellion. I laughed as I heard the story and could not help but think of how much I value the teachers at my daughters school for practically teaching the most basic principles of liberty, taxation and rights to my nine year old daughter. While we talk about these issues at home, it is great for her to learn “first hand” the nature of our revolution, the emotion of unjust taxation and the restriction of liberty.
While I enjoy the activity in my daughter’s class, I wonder about our own nation. Paternalistic Political leaders who “know what is best” continue to add new taxes, new fees and new ways of “raising revenue.” There is always a good reason for the needed tax, but it never seems to be enough. When does the nation ever say, “we cannot afford it?”
This is not a call to revolution, but it is a call to send a new kind of leader to our nations capitol. Someone who does not have the political baggage of years of “experience” in politics. Someone who is fiscally conservative as well as socially conservative. Someone who does not just talk about family, someone who actually lives family.
I pray that my daughter never forgets the emotions and truths of an elementary revolution at her school; but I also pray that our nation remembers the liberty we have enjoyed for over two centuries and that we do not throw away that liberty.
Join our “revolution” by signing up as a voter or volunteer at www.JamesLankford.com. You can also join the “text team” by texting LANKFORD to 468398.
