UNAPOLOGETICALLY AMERICAN

We tend to believe that we have much of our life under control, and that is true within certain limited parameters. We can exhibit active control of certain things…like what we purchase, what we wear, what we ingest, who we associate with, and bedtime. We then tend to believe we live day-to-day, but we do not.

There are two experiences that we have no control over, taxation and death. We reluctantly admit and accept that taxes are a necessary imposition upon our lives. However, we understand that our Republic needs to be financed in order to serve us, which relegates taxation to the “no big deal” storage compartment in our mind. We would love it if we could keep all our income, but that is impractical. Federal income tax was first introduced under the Revenue Act of 1861 to help pay for the Civil War. Until that time the only taxation was a war tax.

 Federal income tax in the United States officially began with the ratification of the 16th Amendment on February 3, 1913, which allowed Congress to levy taxes on income without apportioning it among the states. The first income tax rates were set at 1% for incomes over $3,000 and up to 7% for incomes exceeding $500,000.

The other thing we cannot avoid is death! However, our lives are not lived day-to-day as we tend to believe. Realistically, we live moment-to-moment, and yes the “moment” is an actual time measurement comprising 90 seconds. Many – if not most – of us understand, that our first and last experience of life termination can take place at any time or place, and within whatever cultural society we are experiencing.

Many deaths are unexpected, and are usually undesired. In the United States, unintentional injuries, which include accidents caused by carelessness, are the third leading cause of death, resulting in approximately 222,698 deaths (average) annually. This accounts for about 66.5 deaths per 100,000 population.
Murders have become much lower during the past 40 years, as seen below…

In 2024, there were an estimated 80,391 drug overdose deaths in the United States, marking a decrease of nearly 27% from the previous year. This decline is attributed to a significant reduction in deaths involving opioids, which dropped from approximately 83,140 in 2023 to 54,743 in 2024. I believe these deaths are the accidental result of individual stupidity, with a great deal of responsibility going to those who sell drugs!

Although I see it as unlikely today – but considering that I am in my 9^th decade on Earth – I could very well meet the Grim Reaper (a personification of death, typically depicted as a skeletal figure in a black robe carrying a scythe.) before I finish this blog post.

Most faiths, portray an idyllic afterlife for those who “shuffle off this mortal coil” (thank you Hamlet) after being judged by some spiritual entity. OTOH, if one has not satisfied the requirements of their faith, they are subjected to an eternity in Hell. My personal belief, as a devout agnostic, is that one’s final resting place is determined by their state of mind at the instant of death. Supposedly, we get a momentary review of our life, and that is how we may determine our final destination.

YOUR THOUGHTS??