Submit to tyranny

The Federalist Patriot
Founders' Quote Daily
"Nevertheless, to the persecution and tyranny of his cruel ministry we will not tamely submit - appealing to Heaven for the justice of our cause, we determine to die or be free...."
-- Joseph Warren
(American account of the Battle of Lexington,26 April 1775)
Reference: Documents of American History, Commager, ed., vol. 1(99)

I find it amazing to read what these people did to fight tyranny and to what people today will submit. Dr. Warren died fighting the British because of escalating events - Stamp Act, Boston Tea Party, closing the harbor, confiscating weapons etc. What started it? Mostly taxes. One reason is the Brits wanted the colonists to pay debts from the French Indian War and thought of creative ways to do it. Paying a tax for all paper and printed items was one way they thought of making money but the colonist wouldn't submit. They called it tyranny. The method was tyranical. But what about the amount of the taxes? I am too tired for extensive reaserch but wikipedia says "Taxes applied to all forms of legal documents. The rate of these taxes ranged from a half penny on a pamphlet or one-page newspaper to fifty pounds on a major commercial contract. "

People rebelled because of a half-penny! Most people think of their income in terms of "take home pay". Imagine if the colonists time travelled to the present day and saw our silly 401k schemes and neglectful Health Maintenance Organizations all built to scam a few dollars of pre-tax money out the truly tyranical "withholdings" system we use to pay taxes. What would they think? Wouldn't they tar and feather the IRS agents, burn the president and governors in effigy? They would die or be free.