No taxation without representation
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"No taxation without representation" was a rallying cry of the American Revolutionary War. During the years prior to and during the Revolution, advocates of American independence decried the fact that the American colonies were required to pay taxes to London, yet they had no representatives in Parliament. Therefore, the Americans felt that they were being forced to fund a government into which they had no input.
Origin
The phrase was originally coined by Rev. Jonathan Mayhew in a sermon at Old West Church in Boston. A slightly different version, "Taxation without representation is tyranny," is attributed to James Otis.
Modern Washington, D.C.
Image:Dctaxationsample small.jpg
- See also: District of Columbia voting rights
In modern times, the phrase "Taxation Without Representation" appears on the automobile license plates of Washington, D.C., to protest that city's lack of representation in the United States House of Representatives and Senate (although the district does have a non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives who can sit on committees and participate in debates). The slogan is intended to use irony to claim that a core value of the American Revolution is not being applied to the nation's capital. An effort to put the phrase on a redesigned D.C. flag has not yet come to fruition.
Other Uses
British Prime Minister John Major used a modified version of the quote, with the order reversed, in October 1995, when at the United Nations's 50th Anniversary celebrations he said, "It is not sustainable for states to enjoy representation without taxation," in order to criticise the billion-dollar arrears of the United States's payments to the UN. [1] Again, the application of the phrase against the American government is an ironic reference to the Revolutionary War.
To become citizens of the United States, immigrants most often must be permanent residents for a period of time (usually 5 years) [2]. Permanent residents must pay taxes and cannot vote. However, the alternatives (no taxing of permanent residents, no intermediate status between immigration and citizenship, and voting rights for non-citizens) are regarded by the american electorate as less palatable. Immigration is largely a free, positive choice, and the inability to vote is of limited and known duration.