We're Studying About Those Rebellious People in Boston.

This chapter in our Bob Jones history book is entitled, "Trouble in Boston." All about how King George sent about 4,000 redcoats into Boston. The people were determined not to pay taxes on tea, paint, windows, cloth, and paper under the Townshend Duties.

The more I read about the colonists and their fortitude, the more I wonder about ours. Well, our lack of fortitude. Or we're just confused into a lack of fortitude.

I can't think of a THING I'm not being taxed on. And I don't remember voting on most of these taxes... they're regulated by some mysterious force or committee "out there" and they add anywhere from 50 cents to several dollars on every bill I receive. In several different places and ways on the same bill, too. I'm sure the phone company or the gas people could add a "universal standardization fee" or something (just make something up!) to everyone's bill if they really wanted to, and almost no one would notice. When you get taxed 50 different ways on every bill, and by so many different people who all want a piece of you, you just shrug your shoulders and pay the bill. The county wants this. The state wants that. The city gets something, and then we're in a special hospital district or whatever... Now, if they just came out and TOLD us that we'd have to pay a $100 "Mafia fee" every month, I don't wonder if we wouldn't just be happier with that.

The colonists didn't want to be taxed if they felt they had no representation. Hmm. Did you know, D even has to pay a percentage of his GROSS INCOME to Kansas City because he works there???! And does *he* get to vote for Mayor? Nope.

I guess you just had to "be there" to see what was so maddening about King George wanting a few shillings from every paint shipment. Because between sales tax, income tax(ES), and various connectivitiy/ usage/ whatever "fees," I kinda get nostalgic thinking the only things I'd have had to pay taxes on in Boston were paint, windows, cloth and the like.

Did we really want to die for that?? I need to go back and read some more history to figure out why this was all so important to those people. I'd like to understand more about that whole period in history.