Sarah's Thoughts
The Inaccurate Peanut Butter Analogy
Senator Barack Obama recently told an adorable story about how she shared his peanut butter sandwich with a friend when he was in fourth grade. His adoring fans then laughed on cue when he said, “I guess that’s why they call me a re-distributionist!”
The problem with his amusing childhood tale is that it is not at all an accurate analogy for what he wants to impose on our country. Let’s try this instead:
When I was in fourth grade, I walked up to a kid at the next lunch table and demanded his peanut butter sandwich. He agreed, because I threatened him, and then I gave that sandwich to my friend.
I think it’s wonderful to share your own peanut butter sandwich with a friend … or even a stranger! I am teaching my daughter to share every day. However, I am not teaching her to reach into a friend’s toy box and take a truck home in order to give it to another friend who she thinks needs it more.
I also believe in donating some of your own money to the causes of your choice. Americans are incredibly generous people (conservatives 30% more so than liberals) who can be counted on to help one another (and those around the world) out in a crisis. How did Obama and Biden do with their personal giving?
In 2005 and 2006, the Obamas gave 4.7% and 6.1% of their income (which was 500% than their income in 2004 … nice to be elected to U.S. Senate and let your influence make you a millionaire) to charity. In 2007, Joe Biden contributed 0.3% of his income ($995) to charity, and that was a record year for him in terms of giving.
If Obama and Biden really embraced the idea of sharing their peanut butter sandwiches, they could donate enough money to make millions of them. I am getting a sudden craving for a glass of milk …
The members of the Obama/Biden ticket don’t really want to share their own peanut butter sandwiches. They want to gather up all of your sandwiches and hand them out as they see fit.
Senator Obama — Kindly offering to share your lunch with a friend in the school cafeteria does not make you a re-distributionist. Being a bully who removes the choice of goodwill from others does.
