Principle #7 - I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.

“It is not everyone who asketh that deserveth charity; all however, are worth of the inquiry or the deserving may suffer.” George Washington

It is a part of the good nature of the American spirit to give to charity and help those that are less fortunate than we. We, as a society, have always been one of the first to help out other countries in times of disaster. We also have founded countless non-profit organizations help our fellow Americans through everything from their next meal to fighting through their cancer treatments. America certainly does not lack the giving spirit. Why then, does the government feel the need to force us to be more charitable through all these forms of welfare? By doing so, they actually influence us to give less. Example…for those people like myself who generally tip our waitstaff more than the standard 15%, what is your first inclination when a restaurant automatically adds the tip onto the bill (large groups excluded)? For me, at least, it’s to leave the bill as is. Perhaps it’s just me being stubborn, but that is exactly why I, and no one else, should be in charge of the amount of money that I give away freely. It takes the decision of how charitable to be away from the individual and puts in the hands of a dispassionate entity that makes allocations and donations. When you choose to give money to someone or some cause, you have an invested emotion and give as much as your heart feels is right rather than how much someone tells you to.