To the Editor:

I am not writing to argue with the socialist club existence on behalf of the Church: Gene did a much better job than someone with my writing talents could. ?I am writing to object to your politics.? According to Wikipedia, socialism is “a social and economic system (or the political philosophy advocating such a system) in which the economic means of production are owned and controlled collectively by the people.” This puts a government entity, given the euphemism of “the people,” in charge of all property.? This eliminates all individual claims to property. ?Though I personally am going to take a vow of poverty, I don’t believe it should be mandated.? Private property and the market keep people free. ?How a person spends his or her money should be up to them, as long as it doesn’t infringe upon another’s rights. There shouldn’t be a government telling that person otherwise. ?

Governments are scary creatures.? The new rhetoric of giving governments more power so they can solve all our problems for us is scary and lazy. The solution to problems isn’t more government but individual action.? The founding fathers are rolling over in their graves.? Governments do not give power back peacefully.? Any power you give to them, you have to assume that they will have forever.

Socialists also advocate extremely strict gun control, and many are going the way of total prohibition of fire arms.? There’s a reason for the second amendment, and it isn’t so we can shoot Bambi. ?It’s there to protect us from the thing we should fear the most: our own government.? Socialists advocate giving the government power and taking it from our hands.?

The government created won’t take long to figure out that the Church is not going to approve of oppression.? The Church has never gotten along with governments with too much power, and so those governments have a Final Solution for the Church. ?Though you work for the people, the government you create will not.? It will work for itself and do what it takes to keep power. ?Remember, feeding that monster is a very dangerous business.? I am saying this out of concern for the very same masses for which you’re fighting. ?They will be hit hardest by a tyrant: Don’t be naive and think that a government will stay honest.?

On an added note, I am going to be a member of the most persecuted minority in history, the Roman Catholic clergy, and I will be one of the first to go if your government goes rogue. My advice is that you put your pet monster on a diet before it eats us all.

Sean MacLennan

Sophomore in philosophy