Hey, that’s not me saying it. That’s Slate saying it.
Seriously. This guy was just in a forest fire, he showed his gratitude to the men who put their lives on the line for him, and Slate is trying to humiliate him for having the wrong politics.
Here’s part of the stupid story from Ben Mathis-Lilley:
Massive forest fires continue to threaten homes and lives across the Pacific Northwest, and on Saturday the AP reported on emergency response efforts in central and eastern Washington state. Accompanying the story was the photo above, in which an Okanogan, Washington man named Brad Craig thanks firefighters for saving his home. It’s a nice moment, though if you look closely you’ll notice that Craig happened to be wearing a t-shirt that given the circumstances is quite ironic…
The shirt says “Lower Taxes + Less Government = More Freedom.” You can buy one here on the site of the FreedomWorks Tea Party organization.
Yeah, I plan to buy one. Because I understand that I can express a desire for less government interference in my life without rejecting the need for firefighters. Or police, or roads, or Stop signs, or whatever. I understand that it’s actually possible to advocate individual liberty while still admitting the need for government. People have been saying such things for hundreds of years.
For example, maybe you’ve heard of a dude named Thomas Jefferson? If so, you might recognize the “We The People” tattoo on this man’s right forearm.
Do the geniuses at Slate think that if all government magically disappeared overnight, there would be no more firefighters? I wonder if anybody would, oh, I dunno… volunteer.
If Slate won’t say it, Brad Craig, I will: Glad you’re okay.