Woe is me. Alas, precarious is the plight of the endangered minority. Oh, that oppressed few, teetering on the brink of extinction. I know what you’re thinking — there goes another bleeding-heart liberal out to rescue the impoverished from a chasm of their own doing.

Not so fast. Such is the sentiment echoed by Blake Hasenmiller in Tuesday’s Daily [“America needs lower taxes, numbers that work”], in deference to that unfortunate and misunderstood demographic that toils for mere survival — the wealthiest two percent of Americans.

I have often read commentary put forth by Mr. Hasenmiller and bit my tongue because most of his rhetoric doesn’t dignify a response. His ideas are dated, ignorant and rooted in an ideology that has long since been established as insufficient and incoherent, not to mention irrational.

I do not blame him, as he is a victim of a belief system set forth by an elite group of white, Protestant, aristocratic, patriarchal males who didn’t want to pay taxes. In general, I try to take what he has to say with a grain of salt.

Mr. Hasenmiller has gone too far this time. He has suggested that a higher tax on the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans would be “oppressing” them. This is ignorant and irresponsible. Such an accusation shows just how out of touch the “conservative” mentality is with the plight of the average American.

Oppressed? The wealthiest 2 percent? Are you serious? Something tells me these “oppressed” few will have comfortable homes and food on the table regardless of tax policy or trends in the markets. Mr. Hasenmiller, the same can not be said for the average citizen.

Your comment is representative of the greed, cronyism, corruption and immorality that has dictated fiscal policy for a vast majority of my 34-plus years. It’s time to wake up and realize that easing the “burden” on those at the top, as you would suggest, has never worked for stabilizing markets or providing employment. It didn’t work when Reagan theorized about it and it didn’t worked when Bush II tried to implement it. You had your way. Your theory was tested. It failed. Unfortunately, it failed at the expense of the average citizen.

Oppression, Mr. Hasenmiller, has absolute implications in the lives of real people. The relative discomfort your few at the top may feel if they pay their share of taxes is not oppression. Shame on you for implying it is. Oppression, Mr. Hasenmiller, starves. Oppression, Mr. Hasenmiller, limits life chances. Oppression, Mr. Hasenmiller, kills. Your wealthiest 2 percent, Mr. Hasenmiller, are not oppressed. Your claim spits in the faces, disrespects the legacies, and pours salt in the wounds of every human who has ever been oppressed.

It was irresponsible for you to make such a claim and it was irresponsible for the Daily to immortalize it in print. Shame on you both.

Daniel Wittrock

Senior

Sociology