Original tea party

EDITOR: I don't recall signing a "social contract" saying I would pay for people who can't pay for themselves ("Social contract," Letters, Friday). Paying taxes on items bought is perfectly sensible; paying taxes to pay for people who can't or won't pay for themselves is not. Last I recall, America is a republic, not a socialist country. The three things we are entitled to are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, not other people's hard-earned money.

My feeling of social obligation has limits, so does my wallet. If we stop paying for things we shouldn't be paying for, maybe we wouldn't have to worry about paying our bills. Much respect to the original tea party for making this country what it should be, or should I say, what it used to be.

AARON MORGAN

Fort Bragg