The Forgotten Man

The coming descent into Socialism that is ‘Nationalized Healthcare’ reminds me again of just who I am.
William Sumner, professor of sociology at Yale University in the late 19th century, proffered the notion of “The Forgotten Man.” His thesis on the scheme of compassionate humanitarianism explains the term.

A and B put their heads together to decide what C shall be made to do for D...C is the forgotten man.

I am that “Forgotten Man”, and it is my guess that many reading here are as well.
As a young man I worked hard to get a decent education. Still, today, I make learning an important part of my daily life. I began my working years in a sub-minimum wage job and have worked up the economic ladder into a decent stable job. I show up to work every day and give an honest day’s work for an honest wage. I am married in some faithful loving relationship. I have no children out of wedlock. I do not murder, rape, nor steal. I do not drink to excess, gamble away my family’s income, nor beat or abuse my spouse. I do not live on the street. I spend my hard earned money in an appropriate manner, i.e., bills before toys. I take the term personal responsibility very serious. I am respectful to others and show decorum in public arenas. I have compassion for those, who through no fault of their own, endure hardship. I am thankful for my lot in life and ask nothing from others that I would not willingly return. I feel I pay too much in taxes, yet pay honestly anyway.
Yes, I am “The Forgotten Man”. Forgotten by the politicians who pander to the lowest common denominator in an effort to buy votes. Forgotten by the bureaucrats who spend my money on broken programs and endless bottomless boondoggles. Forgotten by the elites who wish to rearrange the very society that has allowed us all to live in such abundance. Forgotten by the media who see my ilk as simple, quaint, and antiquated.
Oh, but if it were only that simple. It seems I lose my “Forgotten Man” status when I “must pay my fair share”, when I am compelled into compassion, when I must dance to the whims of the nanny state. It is those times most I wish I were forgotten.
You see, I would gladly accept the label “Forgotten Man” if I could choose when to be forgotten. Forget me, Senator, when you institute a new law that adds more responsibility on the law abiding in an inane effort to curb those who would disrespect it. Forget me, Mayor, when you look to find yet another income stream. Forget me, Congressman, when schemes of redistribution dance in your head. Forget me, Your Honor, when you usurp the ideals of the founding fathers simply to further your political agendas. And forget me, Mother Government, when you promise new programs that incrementally and ultimately rob me of my constitutionally protected freedoms.
This is who I am. I am “The Forgotten Man”, the C in Professor Sumner’s equation above. You need to ask yourself, which letter are you?