There is a lot of attention on football players not standing for the Star Spangled Banner. It is always interesting to me that many people just think of the national anthem as a necessary but relatively unimportant interlude before a sporting event can start. Many of these people really don’t understand the history of the Star Spangled Banner.
In early September of 1814, the U.S. and Britain were at war. The British were assembling their naval and land forces to start an attack on Baltimore. They had recently burned most of Washington, D.C. and wanted to take Baltimore because of its strategic importance. Once Baltimore was sacked they would then proceed on New York or Boston, and they expected that the demoralized Americans would agree to onerous peace terms.
Francis Scott Key was a 35 year old Maryland attorney. A client had been arrested by the British and Key was summoned to seek his freedom. Key boarded the ship where his client was being held. The British agreed to release his client but made Key and his client stay on the ship because the attack on Fort McHenry was starting. A picture of Ft. McHenry is shown below.
The British command were astonished because instead of facing a disorganized group like they confronted outside of Washington, D.C., there were disciplined infantry and artillery units. The bombardment from the British was intense. They were firing not only cannon balls but new projectiles that exploded. These “rockets” slammed into the Fort. The defenders answered in kind and for nearly 25 hours the two sides traded shells.
There was a large U.S. flag flying over Fort McHenry. At this time, when you wanted to surrender a fort, the defenders lowered their flag. After sunset, Key could see in the “rockets red glare,” that the flag was still flying and the Fort had not surrendered.
When the British stopped their bombardment, it was still dark. Key had to wait several hours for sunrise before he saw that the flag was still there and the British were withdrawing.
As Key was rowed ashore, he began writing a poem that was printed in newspapers and eventually set to the music of a popular English drinking tune called “To Anacreon in Heaven” by composer John Stafford Smith.
Over time, the tune began to be referred to as “The Star-Spangled Banner.” In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson announced that it should be played at all official events. It was formally adopted as the national anthem on March 3, 1931.
The Star Spangled Banner and the FAIRtax
Many people also don’t realize the history of taxation in the U.S. As historian Charles Adams stated in his wonderful book on taxation, For Good and Evil, our Founding Fathers knew about the income tax when they were drafting the constitution. In fact, some of the colonies had instituted income taxes as early as the 17th century.
However, the Founding Fathers were very concerned about the threat to freedom that direct taxes, like the income tax, presented. They specifically allowed tariffs, customs fees and excise taxes—like the FAIRtax.
Adams also explains that when England repealed the income tax that had been imposed to pay for the Napoleonic wars in the early 19th century, it led to the most prolific economic growth in English history—now known as the Industrial Revolution.
Most people just assume that the income tax is “American” and has always been. It was only allowed by the 16th Amendment and has only been in place since 1913. The problem with looking at the FAIRtax as a “new idea” is that we are ignoring history. Excise taxes like the FAIRtax were allowed but direct taxes were not.
Conclusion
Edmund Burke was an 18th Century Irish statesman who served as a member of the British Parliament for many years. He is credited with many pithy sayings like:
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.
When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.
Another statement by Burke is very appropriate here, Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it.
Supporters of the FAIRtax must point out that history is on our side. The income tax has been the tax of tyrants and, like communism, has failed throughout history.
A New Investment Opportunity for Americans
When you make a donation to Americans For Fair Taxation “(AFFT”), you are making an investment. You could be investing the money in something else. All of us want to see a return on our investment. We want to see the investment used wisely and that the organization provides what it promises.
AFFT has been working for a long time to educate people about the FAIRtax. We are still running into people who have not heard about the FAIRtax, but what a difference it is from even five years ago. The biggest fear of the D.C. Elites is if the American people realize that they have been “had” and demand common sense reform like the FAIRtax. The Elites know that their “friends” in Congress will desert them if threatened with being thrown out of office.
There is going to be some sort of change in the income tax code in 2017. If AFFT is not demanding, on behalf of you, that Congress not just make a few changes but make real reform, then there will be more of the same and America will continue to lose jobs and more of our children will be living with us because they cannot find jobs.
By contributing (investing) $10.40 per month, you help provide a financial base to AFFT. If you can make larger contributions (investments) these will be used not for salaries, as we are all volunteers, but for the needed updates to our economic studies which will be vital in 2017.
Please go to this link to invest in AFFT and in your and your family’s future.
New FAIRtax Book
Do you know of someone who would like to learn the basics of the FAIRtax but is not an avid user of social media? Perhaps someone who would prefer to read a booklet either in print or electronic form? If so, we have just what they need. The title is America’s Big Solution which is available in both print and electronic formats. America’s Big Solution was written by Florida volunteer Terry Tibbetts in an effort to reach people who lean toward getting more information than you can fit into a 140 character “tweet" or a Facebook post. America’s Big Solution will take the reader through a brief but thorough introduction to the FAIRtax and give suggestions for further study.
You can find America’s Big Solution on the three most popular platforms -- Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the Apple iBook Store. To purchase the electronic form for the Amazon Kindle or the print form, go to this website. To find it for your Barnes & Noble Nook, go here. And if you’re an Apple user, go to the iBook store at this site. The print version (only available at Amazon) is $9.25 whereas the electronic versions are all priced at $2.99. (Apparently electrons are less expensive than paper and ink!) All royalties go to Americans For Fair Taxation.
Please share this information with everyone you know. The more people know about the FAIRtax, the easier it will be to steer Congress into the only REAL tax reform proposal on the table at this time.
AFFT National LOGO Store
THE FAIRTAX® LOGO STORE
SUPPLYING EDUCATIONAL/PROMOTIONAL ITEMS
September BOGO TIME
PLUS 25% off on all FAIRTAX Banners plus many items going on BOGO sale for September.
Now is the time to get the FAIRtax℠ word and logo in public’s eye. Therefore, we will be offering numerous BOGO’s ( buy one get one free ) for the month of September. Also, we will continue to offer all FAIRtax℠ banners at a 25% discount during the month of September.
Presently, BOGO’s are available on the following promo items:
Palm Cards, Business Cards, Adhesive Bumper Stickers, Magnetic Bumper Stickers,
Event Stickers, Scrolling Banners, Pens, Notepads, Pocket Calendars
EVENT BANNERS
We currently offer four event banner designs and all are available at a 25% discount, a super deal.
Your FAIRtax℠ Store is ready for the September/October national election time period with GREAT DEALS so you can present the FAIRtax℠ concept and logo at all Presidential campaign stops, at elected representative town halls/events, and all other political meetings plus your own FAIRtax℠ educational meetings.
WWW.FAIRTAXLOGOSTORE.ORG
When visiting the Store, don’t forget to order a supply of FAIRtax palm cards. Besides handing out palm cards at meetings and events, whenever you send mail through the post office, including at least one FAIRtax informational palm card in your envelope. And remember, many entities send you postage paid envelopes for whatever reason. So, why not send them back with an enclosed palm card and a FAIRtax sticker on the outside for all to see - keep spreading the word.
Please take a moment and visit our store by clicking here.
FAIRtax Power Radio
When is the last time you heard Thomas Jefferson on the radio or in a podcast? He recently visited the FAIRtax Power Radio studio - twice!
FAIRtax Power Radio is the brainchild of Bob Paxton, a Florida volunteer with previous radio experience and someone who is devoted to getting the FAIRtax passed into law as soon as possible. He invited Ron Maiellaro, another Florida volunteer, to join him. Together they are “The FAIRtax Guys” and they have created a series of podcasts that not only introduce the listeners to the FAIRtax but also discuss the many different aspects of the FAIRtax as it relates to the economy, our Constitutional rights, politics, business and anything else that comes to mind. After all, the FAIRtax will affect and be affected by every aspect of American life.
FAIRtax Power Radio has been around for almost two years, but a few months ago, we had a new beginning. We moved our main distribution platform to Spreaker where you can listen to and download our 30 minute podcasts for free.
Last April, when we moved to Spreaker, we decided to start from scratch and reintroduce the FAIRtax from the beginning to our listeners. In the first few episodes, you will hear details of the immense problems with the current income tax system and why it cannot be fixed. In fact, it’s so serious that even Thomas Jefferson gets involved in the discussion in episode 3. Then you’ll hear the most important aspects of the FAIRtax explained by Bob “Paxworthy” using his “You Might Be A FAIRtax Fan!” routine. We have interviews with various people such as a local business man, a Congressman and a member of the Board of Directors of Americans For Fair Taxation. We have examples of some of the wackiest tax deductions allowed by the IRS and the tax courts. We have analyzed the proposed tax reforms that the House Ways & Means Committee titled “A Better Way” and explained why it’s not “the best way.” In episode 18, Thomas Jefferson returns five years after his first visit however this time, the FAIRtax is the law of the land. A new episode is posted every Friday morning but you can tune in at anytime that is convenient to you.
If you’re an iTunes user, you can find FAIRtax Power Radio in the podcasts section of the iTunes store. Again, it is free and you can listen and/or download the podcasts at any time.
Both Spreaker and iTunes are available for your smartphones using the free apps. We are also working to get FTPR on other platforms such as iHeart Radio and TuneIn; more on those efforts at a later date.
Since our move to Spreaker and iTunes, we have increased our listenership but we need more, many more people to listen to FAIRtax Power Radio if we are going to force Congress to adopt the only REAL tax reform in front of them. YOU can help to inform the American people by not only listening to FTPR but also by sharing this information and these links with everyone in your contact list.
As The FAIRtax Guys say in every episode, When You Understand It, You’ll Demand It!
Thank You For Opening The FAIRtax Chronicles, Our Sponsored Mailings
We plan to do several of these mailings each month. If you take a minute to open the sponsored emails and click through to the website, you are making an in kind contribution to AFFT. It is not required to actually make a purchase, but your minute of time will ensure that AFFT is paid ever larger amounts from people paying for us to send their offers to our supporters.
Again, we are making every effort to ensure that we work with only reputable companies. If you feel that any FAIRtax-sponsored email is objectionable, please email us at info@fairtax.org and tell us why. You can also opt to not receive these sponsored email messages but still receive FAIRtax emails.
Thank you for staying FAIRtax strong!
