On February 10, 2009, 14 year old student Ty’Sheoma Bethea wrote a letter to Congress describing the terrible conditions at her school in South Carolina. In the letter, she urged Congress to approve President Obama’s stimulus package so that her school district may receive much needed funds. The letter received much attention by some newspapers and ultimately made it to President Obama himself, who wound up inviting young Miss Bethea to sit beside him during his February 24 presentation to Congress. Subsequently, a furniture company from Chicago wound up donating  $250,000 worth of furniture to the school district.

Miss Bethea is to be applauded by us here at T&S – along with the generosity of the furniture company. This shows how a young lady, trying to make her life better, takes actions that improve her life and the conditions in her community. This also shows how private companies and individuals can step up and exhibit the generosity that Americans are known for worldwide. As Miss Bethea said in her letter, “We are not quitters.” What is unfortunate however, is how Miss Bethea was exploited by President Obama as a political tool to help push for his dogma of Dependency on Big Government.

The principal of the school that received the donation, Amanda Burnette, was reported to have said, “In one sense, it makes me sad because I feel like this is something that our state should be doing for our children. Private money shouldn’t have to be used to fund public education.”

It is sad that private money has to be used to fund public education. But after this incident, many questions remain.

Why must private money be used to fund public education? If you are a taxpayer, you must pay for public schools whether you use them or not. How was this money managed such that the district would require a private donation to replace 40 year old furniture?

Why do people who spend public money such as Congressman and Presidents and school boards fail to realize that this public money is really in fact, private donations anyway? Perhaps if you order somebody to donate something, you feel more noble than if that somebody made the donation freely and without your involvement. Every tax dollar spent is somebody’s private money that they were forced into donating to causes with which they may disagree.

Why is it that 14 year old girls, principals and so many other people at large believe that when they need something, their initial thought is that they should write to the government? Instead of wishing that Congress or the President or some politician somewhere will force people to pay more taxes so that you can get stuff, why not just ask other people? This is really a community-minded approach. Imagine that you needed furniture for your school that you could not afford. Rather than ask the government to force someone to make a donation to you, why not just ask a furniture company what they could do for you? Or go door to door in your neighborhood? Is it considered “begging” if you ask a furniture company for a donation? We know that it is not considered begging when government orders a furniture company to donate money or products to you. Maybe it is just easier if Big Government intervenes for you.

Why are people offended when a problem can be solved without government intervention? Must government always be the savior that we all depend on for all of our needs? When did this notion all start?

If a public school cannot be maintained despite mandatory donations from every resident and business in the district every year whether they use the schools or not, should we not look at alternatives?

Why do people think that the Government has some mysterious bottomless pit of money that can be dispensed upon request? Notwithstanding the recent move toward simply printing more currency, their is a finite amount. This amount comes from the so-called “private sector”! Yes – only individuals and private businesses supply the entire sum of the money that the Government spends. Big and “greedy” businesses so demonized lately are the backbone to funding any folly of government.

It is amazing what “we the people” can do for ourselves without the help of Big Government.