A few weeks ago, I went to Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg, MD. Of all the Civil War Battlefields in this country (that I have seen), this is the best. There is no encroaching development destroying the surrounding landscape or the battlefield itself. The town is still small and not overflowing with the commercialism and tourist trap feel of Gettysburg. I don’t know if it’s in that book of places telling you what to see before you die, but it definitely is in MY book!
The Battle of Antietam (known as the Battle of Sharpsburg in the south) occurred on September 17th, 1862. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in US history with 23,000 casualties. Although the battle was tactically a draw, it was a strategic victory for the Union as they had stopped Robert E. Lee’s first invasion of the North. The “victory” empowered Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, helping to prevent France and the UK from recognizing the Confederate Government. It was a very important battle to say the least. So important, it was in the ten-part miniseries 10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America. The battle is on par with Shay’s Rebellion, McKinley’s Assassination, and Elvis’ first Appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. I'm not sure if they are ALL on the same level as each other. I guess I should have watched the series.
I really wish this picture didn’t come from “freerepublic.com”
At the battlefield, I saw two signs that have popped up since 2009.
These signs are a bit of a “controversy”, mostly among the “We hate the government and taxes” GOP. Many Conservatives complain about the high cost of the signs, like a $10,000 sign en route to Dulles Airport here in Virginia. "Oh no, less than .02% of the stimulus money was wasted on signs!" You have this one person complaining that the signs are “taking credit for extreme traffic backups” and are making Americans angrier at Democrats. Yes, because we all know that road construction and expansion is never a hassle and can always be done without inconveniencing anyone, ever. The end result may lead to a quicker commute and less congestion, but if we ever have to experience any kind of inconvenience to get there, it’s not worth it. Oh, and the reason why you don’t see people working during rush hour commutes is that they don’t work during rush hour commutes! They either work at night or during the midday, as I saw the day I was fired and found myself unexpectedly on the road at 11 o’clock in the morning. They DO work, just not when you are around! Out of sight, out of mind, eh?
Of course I understand that maybe we don't need so many signs advertising the stimulus. Some see it as propaganda, such as Rep. Darrell Issa from California, who's criticisms helped to get the recovery sign numbers out in the open. This is coming from a man who saw no real reason why tax payers needed to help pay for the recovery of New York City in the aftermath of 9/11, and is in the hot seat for having connections with several industry's that could benefit from his investigations when he was head of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Sounds like the guy to talk to about spending money to help America and ethical behavior for a government official.
Regardless of the signs, the stimulus has been attacked as a waste of money. Critics will always point out things like “$15 million to create 17 jobs”, and many, many, many more examples of failure from clearly non-politically motivated sources.
Funny. The rich like to claim that they create jobs when they spend money on luxury items, “Those five people wouldn’t have had a job if I didn’t buy that yacht!”, but when the government spends two million dollars to keep five people employed, it’s regarded as a failure. So, trickle-down economics doesn’t apply to government spending, but it does for private businesses? Well, it’s not the same really. The government is spending money; the rich just get more of theirs to keep and will hopefully spend that money to create jobs. Gotcha.
Looking at everything at the battlefield, I don’t see wasted money.
What I saw:
New paths that are easier to walk on and are handicap accessible.
Historical markers being added, cleaned, or replaced.
Trees being planted to restore the battlefield to its 1862 look.
Security to stop vandalism or help someone.
I’m sure there are more things going on that I don’t even know about. This money is helping to make this national park and historic site even better. It’s helping to preserve a piece of our history that is sadly being destroyed by over development elsewhere. I frankly don’t care if my money went to make some of this possible. And really, how do I know where my money is really going? I probably helped a third-world dictator.
I just can’t understand this selfishness and greed that people have. Well, maybe I do. I believe it is part of human nature to be selfish. But this recent irrational paranoid hatred and distrust of government is absurd. I find it amazing that millionaires and billionaires are getting the lower classes up in arms simply because the government taxes them to provide for the rest of the people. Taxes aren’t theft, they are essential to the workings of this nation. I never liked seeing money taken out of my paycheck but A) I never saw it so I didn’t care if I “lost” it; I lived within my means and I was able to save a lot of money in a year. B) I didn’t care if it was going to provide a service that I needed or will need sometime in the future (unemployment). C) Taxes are inevitable. Suck it up and deal with it you big cry baby. Go enjoy the national park that you paid for.
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