Wesley J. Smith Senior Fellow Discovery Institute Center for Science and Culture Dear Mr. Smith, I sympathize with the distress you expressed at learning you will have to financially contribute to your chief executive’s decision to provide $150 million to support embryonic stem cell research in the state of California. “The people of my state--unfortunately--voted to financially support this research. I am now stuck having to help foot that bill. But at least people in other areas of the country who disagree won't have to open their wallets.” As a supporter of Governor Schwarzenegger's decision I feel guilty that you will have to fund this research and I will not. It is indeed troubling when a citizen is compelled to fund activities in a “highly speculative and morally controversial area” with which they do not agree. I am similarly troubled about my continued funding of the Iraq war. Perhaps you and I might be able to come to an agreement that would extricate us from this thorny ethical and costly financial dilemma in which we have become embroiled through no fault of our own? I suggest that I will mail you a cashier’s check for your portion of the state of California’s funding of ESCR, which I support, and you can return to me my tax dollars that have been spent on the Iraq war. Lets see what do I owe you? The population of California is about 34 million: $150 million divided by 34 million Californians ----------------------------------- = $4.41. Wooowhhh!! That is a chunk of change Wes! Tack on postage and it’s almost a fiver! Now lets see what you owe me? Iraq war costs about $297,909,000,000.00 and counting. US population is about 300 million, $297,909,000,000.00 divided by 300 million Americans ----------------------------------- =$993.03 Please email me for details on transferring these funds to my PayPal account. Now if you’ll excuse me, Momma needs a new pair of shoes! Kind Regards, PhB. Update: ps: I'm not opposed to invading countries per se. I just find the activities of blowing people up with bombs or shooting them with big guns to be a morally and ethically questionable practice. As such it would be far better if such activities were funded with private money rather than government funds. Afterall, if Iraq were going to produce lots of oil wouldn't Exxon Mobil or Halliburton be paying us to take over the country? Entrepreneurs and venture capitalists have avoided this speculative and highly controversial empire building freedomizing in the middle east. Do they know something we don't? The only blog inspired by a Bumper Sticker.