My Life, My Politics
In the late 1960s, my parents, my sister and I escaped from Czechoslovakia, a communist country. We left everything we had: an apartment that we waited years to move into, our relatives and cherished memories. We literally traveled through the woods and eventually came to America.
In Czechoslovakia the government controlled everything, including health care and the economy, with no freedom of speech or even religion. It "provided for everything" and yet no one had anything. Vast corruption left the people miserable and oppressed.
We came to America with almost nothing: money for one month's rent and a few shabby suitcases. My dad worked so hard--two jobs, and I hardly saw him as a child.
We slowly built our lives, established roots and tried to start living the American way. There were no W.I.C. payments, no food stamps, no credit cards. Our sympathetic neighbors, however, were kind and understanding. They gave us some second-hand toys and watched us when my mom attended English classes Downtown.
We lived frugally, never borrowed and incurred no debt. Slowly but surely, with hard work, my dad was able to put my sister and me through college and graduate school.
We both now carry on his work ethic. We go to work, we tend to our families, we pay for our health care and we pay taxes. We clip coupons, prioritize what we can afford, put away for our retirement and for our children's education.
We save, we pay our way, but above all, we live responsibly and within our means. Through dedication to work, sacrifice and self-reliance, we are living our "American Dream," a dream that could never be realized in Czechoslovakia.
America's government has grown and is now on the brink of getting even bigger. There's a belief that government can step in and "help out" with such problems as unstable economic conditions, unemployment and the accessibility and affordability of health care. It seems promising that such a powerful entity can relieve us of our responsibilities and make everything "fair."
This notion was popular in Czechoslovakia and government grew. And soon socialism gave way to communism.
Could this happen in America? Yes, and I see glimpses of it already. Big government, socialized health care, assurance of "a world-class education for all children" are attractive ideas without a doubt. A government that promises a leg up for those "oppressed" by our economy also sounds appealing.
Good intentions, yes, but dangerous and misguided. As government expands, it can interfere with all aspects of our lives and to do this it needs money. To sustain itself, a big government quickly finds the deepest financial pockets in our society and disproportionately taxes hard-working people--many, like my sister and I, who have achieved their American dream by living responsibly and within their means.
Is this really what we want here in America? Do we want a corrupt force that takes from the hard-working people and redistributes their wealth to those who choose not to put forth the effort, to those who choose to allow government to provide for them and to keep them in a state of perpetual dependence?
Big government is a threat to our freedom. Why work hard? Why invest? Why put away for your future just so that the government can control it and give it to somebody else? Why be charitable? Why be creative, enterprizing or inventive to better the lives of people, when the government will punish you for your success? Why put your heart and soul into your work and your business when the fruits of your labor will be taken and passed out according to someone else's wishes?
Eventually, we all become government pawns or government employees, with no freedom of speech, no freedom of anything. Yes, we are provided for, but then we become lazy, dependent, oppressed and depressed.
This may seem far-fetched and extreme, but I feel strongly about this, My parents lived through the hardship of government control where everyone was miserable and bitter. They risked everything to come to America so their daughters could have a better life. I am so appreciative of the freedom in America and proud to be a naturalized American citizen.
I believe in limiting government growth and maintaining a checks-and balances system. I want government to defend this land and my economic freedom and allow me to keep living responsibly.
Let's keep America what our founding fathers intended it to be. John McCain's platform is most consistent with my concerns. He may not be the perfect candidate in many ways, but I concur with his views and his love and appreciation for the freedom in America. On Tuesday, I will vote for John McCain.
Dr. Simona Pautler is a plastic surgeon who lives in Upper St. Clair
Simona Pautler's family escaped from a country where the government controlled everything to find the American dream.
Simona Pautler's family escaped from a country where the government controlled everything to find the American dream.
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