Yesterday as I was relaxing at home, the doorbell rang. That's a very rare occurrence, since few people (other than family) will enter the gate to come to the door. I went to the door and it was a college-age guy from the nearest university selling "cow-pie bingo" tickets. I listened to his sales pitch and was just about to ask the price when he mentioned that the proceeds were to be used to help military families in some way. I politely cut him off by saying "Sorry, but I don't support the military".
He thanked me for my time and left.
I wonder if he had ever gotten that response before. I wonder if others feel the same as I do, but are scared to say so in this religio-militaristic area. If he had asked for an explanation I would have told him that I support the militia, but not government-owned militaries. I would have told him that "the troops" are not fighting for "our freedom" but are putting me and my family- and his- in mortal danger by creating hatred for Americans, and growing an unending crop of new "terrorists" every day. I would have explained that "taxation" is really nothing more or less than pure theft. But he didn't ask, so we left it at that.
I hate myself when I keep silent in the face of such assumptions, but afterward I always wonder if speaking up, even politely, will put me on another "list".
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