ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 3, 1996 TAG: 9601030047
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DON FISHER
ON CHRISTMAS Eve, The Roanoke Times chose to publish one of the most misguided pieces of socialistic drivel of the year on its Commentary page. I refer to Holly Sklar's commentary (``Let's heed the message of `A Christmas Carol''') in which Congress is compared to Ebenezer Scrooge.
Sklar uses all of the obligatory liberal, socialist cliches to promote her interpretation of ``A Christmas Carol'' as a call for increased governmental intervention and the accelerating dependency that follows. Perhaps she should have used Robin Hood as a better example.
If the statistics cited regarding the child-poverty rate and mortality rates are correct, and I don't doubt that they are, the true villain isn't congressional Scroogism but failure of the programs she advocates. If these governmental programs were working, there would be no need for her commentary.
The fact is, the programs aren't working! Sklar's solution: Things aren't improving, so let's take more money from those mean old rich people and make everything better. Everything she advocates takes away individual incentive, and would sentence more families to continuing generations of poverty and despair.
Anyone who has lived through more than two consecutive Christmases is painfully familiar with miserly Ebenezer Scrooge. At the beginning of the story, he's the consummate evil businessman. Please note, all you businessmen out there, Republicans and Democrats alike: To the Holly Sklars of the world, you're all Ebenezer Scrooge. Forget the fact that most of you are honest and endeavor to treat your employees fairly. Ignore also the fact that you do provide jobs for people in order to prevent their children from becoming a part of the statistics referred to in her commentary.
Scrooge's problem is a personal one, and the story of ``A Christmas Carol'' is a call for individual repentances, not a cry for increased governmental intervention. Through a series of very disturbing visions, Scrooge sees the error of his ways and chooses to alter his own direction, thus improving the lot of all those associated with him. That includes Bob Cratchit, the faithful employee who now has a job with better pay and apparently a health-care plan. Incidentally, did Cratchit call for Medicaid, Aid for Families with Dependent Children, etc.? His theory seems to be to work hard, make the best of what you have, use your skills, add a little faith and you'll pull through.
As Sklar points out, Scrooge's conclusion is correct: ``The [present course must] be departed from, [in order for] the ends [to] change.'' The present course already utilizes too much intervention and Big Brotherly redistribution of wealth.
Quoting Sklar, ``the [dependency] road we're on leads to a future where children are increasingly malnourished and mistreated.''
Scrooge experienced an individual change of heart that made him more like other businessmen of his day, and ours. He became a richer man, and the Cratchit family's self-esteem was enhanced.
May God bless us everyone, including Sklar.
Don Fisher, of Roanoke, is a sales representative for a medical-supply distributor.
LENGTH: Medium: 61 linesby CNB