In his letter of April 14, Alan Kaur accused President Obama of redistributing the wealth of the top 5 percent and giving it to the poor. The bulk of his letter was a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln to underscore his argument.
In truth, those are not the words of Abraham Lincoln but rather Rev. William J. H. Boetcker, published in 1942. The fake quote now circulates widely on the Internet.
How about some actual Lincoln quotes for Mr. Kaur and his anti-tax crowd to reflect on: "What is conservatism? Is it not adherence to the old and tried, against the new and untried?"
Or try these Lincoln words of wisdom: "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew."
Sadly, the current anti-tax rhetoric is being used to protect top income earners. Most protesters are working wage earners who will actually benefit from President Obama’s tax policy. Tax revenue is not given to the poor. It is used to build roads and bridges, pay for quality education, ensure safety with local police and firefighters, fund sewer and water projects, support a strong military and provide Social Security to people like Mr. Kaur.
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Greg Caucutt
Rochester
