To form a more perfect Union

I recently paid my taxes. It wasn’t much, but I’m always proud to. For me it is an act of community. Perhaps, other than voting, it is my only act of community. I do grumble a bit and wish they were a wee bit fairer, but I do not resent it. During the same week the Tea Party was in town. They are a mish mash of positions. They do not want to be thought of as racist or advocating violence, in spite of what is said by their more vocal members. The clearest positions are the sanctity of the Constitution and being tired of paying taxes that does not directly benefit them. I find that odd. You do not have to get too far into the Constitution, first paragraph of the preamble, before your read to “promote the general Welfare.” Notice it did not say the individual welfare. How do you believe two opposites at the same time and expect folks to take you seriously?

Taxes are covered fairly quickly too in Article I, section 3, “…direct Taxes shall be apportioned….” It is specified more fully in Amendment XVI. I wonder if these people have read the Constitution. Perhaps they just have diminished reading comprehension skills. Taxes for education may be to their benefit.

However, back to the racism, which they say we should sort of ignore, the same Article I, section 3 speaks of “three fifths of all other Persons.” Who might they be? Do they get to only pay three fifths of their taxes?