Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

To the Editor:

Regarding President Obama’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, at a time when the nation’s sense of itself and our mission may be changing, the context of the president’s remarks should be the role of the federal government in maintaining a sane society.

By that I mean a just society that looks after its disadvantaged, educates its children, ensures access to health care for all Americans, and gives the middle class as well as the wealthy a voice in the public conversation and a stake in an expanding economy.

Until we’re clear about what to expect of our government, and how our president sees its role, the debate about its proper size will remain a partisan shouting match.

David Kernis
Trumbull, Conn., Jan. 23, 2011

Note from KBJ: All of the things mentioned, with the possible exception of education, can and should be provided privately. Your health is not my responsibility. You have no right that I pay for your health care, any more than you have a right that I pay for your food, fuel, shelter, or clothing.