The Meaning of Government

A common complaint among people who resent taxation is that the government is "stealing" their money.  I wondered whether they would consider these people thieves:

• The members of the armed forces who risk their lives for us
• The police who protect our neighborhoods
• The firemen who literally have a pole next to their bed they can slide down to get to us faster
• The teachers who take all the kids in our neighborhood and help them to become intelligent and skilled citizens
• The highway workers who fix the holes in the roads we drive on
• The bus drivers who are there in case we don't feel like driving
• The inspectors that make sure our hamburger meat isn't tainted
• The geologists who monitor our volcanoes in case they feel like blowing 
• The lifeguards at our beaches
• The park rangers who protect our natural parks
• The judges that make sure we get a fair trial
• The public defendants that we are given by right
• The postal workers who brings mail to our door
• The librarians that make sure our neighbors stay well-informed
• The doctors in subsidized emergency rooms that will take us no matter what

In the words of Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.:

"I like to pay taxes.  With them I buy civilization."