One of the things I’ve had to suffer through in my old age has been paying taxes.
As a college student, I make a pittance of a salary, so naturally I don’t want to lose any of it.
It combines my hate of crunching numbers with my hate of handing over money and my dislike of how the government spends it.
I think I’d rather drink bathwater than do my taxes.
I’d rather snort Ajax bleach.
But come April 15, the Internal Revenue Service will have reached deep down into my pockets to take every cent they can.
And while they’re down there, they’ll probably bust my balls.
I can’t avoid paying taxes. It’s un-American to do so – and I can either get raped by the government, or get raped in prison for not paying my taxes.
I don’t think this is such a politicized statement to make – we make up almost half the world’s military spending, and that’s unbelievable.
Over $400 billion was spent last year on military. I guess that doesn’t seem absurd to enough people, because we will most likely increase that figure in the coming years.
It would be nice if our priorities could switch to something else. Education? Health care, perhaps?
I would like to think that my money is going toward new textbooks for an inner-city classroom. But really, it’s paying for one blast shell, for one tank in some desert.
-Graham BeckwithLantern arts editor
