I am constantly amazed that when liberals such as Jim McPherson criticize conservative ideology for its supposed lack of empathy and charity, they always miss the point that charity at the point of a gun is not charity at all but tyranny.

Steve Massey is no hypocrite. When he asserts that “God gave his best,” the point is that the very essence of love and mercy are demonstrated in the fact that the gift was (and is) given willingly to undeserving recipients.

Government creates no wealth of its own and can only be charitable with that which it confiscates from producers. Since the inception of the Great Society and every subsequent battle in America’s war on poverty, untold trillions have been spent. Look around, Jim. How’s that working for you?

Higher taxes and more spending simply don’t work unless the goal is to stifle economic growth and bankrupt a nation in order to use the crisis as the impetus for fundamental transformation of our constitutional republic. Oh, have I stumbled onto something?

Martin Petrilli

Colbert