BY RUSSELL TURNER
A STRAIGHT ANSWER
This morning I was listening to the news about the Congressional hearings on the investigation of the alleged IRS practice of targeting conservative groups that applied for tax-exempt status for their organizations. The main witness was an IRS director named Lois Learner; when she was asked any question, her response was to take the Fifth Amendment and refuse to answer any questions. According to the news report she did offer to answer the questions if she would be granted immunity from prosecution. During a recent 60 Minutes interview, President Obama made the claim that there wasn’t a smidgen of illegal practices going on at the IRS, if that were the case I fail to see the need to invoke the Fifth Amendment on any and all questions.
Anyone who has ever had any dealing with the IRS knows that they can be ruthless in dong their job. For the most part when you are audited you are guilty until you prove your innocence. I wonder how understanding Lois Learner or any other IRS employee would be if I as a private citizen refused to answer any of their questions? I would bet a week’s pay that your assets and bank accounts would be seized in a matter of minutes. It is a shame that Lois Learner did not receive the same kind of treatment that they impose on the rest of the citizens of this country.
I have noticed that too many people in government develop an attitude whereas they believe that the private sector works for them; we Americans from the working class need to realize that they are our employees and they work for us. I have also noticed that many Americans are afraid to speak up because they fear the government. We are Americans; our founders gave us the right to speak our mind. Any time any government agency starts using its authority to silence groups that don’t go along with the status quo, that agency is completely out of line. One of the founding fathers made the comment, when the government fears the citizens you have liberty but he went on to say that when the people fear the government you have tyranny.
I feel that tyranny is something that comes on gradually. Many times we are all consumed with the need just to make a living and we put too much faith in elected officials whose only allegiance is to pander to enough people to get re-elected. The tyranny that we Americans live under can be traced back to we voters, we have failed to stay informed and involved. In order to make the right decisions concerning our country we deserve a straighter answer than we have been getting.
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