Cowboy Poetry

Thomas Jefferson said in his inaugural address that the purpose of government was fivefold:

1. Acknowledge and adore God
2. Exercise frugality
3. Restrain the infliction of injury (keep people safe)
4. Encourage entrepreneurship and free enterprise
5. Protect property, earnings of the citizens

Currently, our government is running a deficit of $1.5 trillion, so it is obviously not exercising frugality.  With the possible exception of #3, you could easily make the argument that they aren't performing any of their primary roles effectively.

The deficit is the object of much of the current debate in DC these days.  Rightfully so.  Sadly, the Republicans proposed cuts are merely a drop in the proverbial bucket.  Worse, the Democrats think that even that small percentage of the budget should be untouchable and is too draconian.

Nobody better exemplifies the lunacy of the budget debate than Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.  (Hat tip to Jason Mattera at Human Events for posting this on their site.)  Reid has called the Republicans "mean spirited" in their attempts to cut funding for the National Endowment of Humanities which helps fund Nevada's annual Cowboy Poetry Festival.




Now I have nothing against cowboys, unless they are Dallas Cowboys.  Nor do I have anything against poetry.  The fact that cowboys write poetry would be a good thing in my mind.  However, government funding  of poetry festivals do not seem to fit in the role of government as defined by Thomas Jefferson, especially when the government is operating at such a godawful deficit.

Now, while this seems to be like a perfectly lovely event, and I am sure that a splendid time is had by all that attend, is this really what are tax dollars should be going towards?

Related articles

• Harry Reid: Save the Cowboy Poets! (michellemalkin.com)
• Thomas Jefferson on Good Government (dakotavoice.com)
• What Happens When Cowboys Get the Blues But Don't Have Public Subsidies to Write Poetry About It? (reason.com)