Robin Hood - Renegade, Socialist or Tax Protester?

"He robbed from the rich and gave to the poor"
Oh, Really?
In the famous tale, the friend to all, defender of the defenseless, man of honor; Robin Hood reserves his lawless exploits for sacking the Sheriff of Nottingham. Why would the honorable man commit a crime or any act of injustice? The answer is in the question. A man of honor would not commit an act of injustice.

While much of the story is disputed, we know that his prime target is the Sheriff of Nottingham who is taxing everyone into near starvation. He is doing so under the limited authority of Prince John, the evil brother of King Richard the Lion Heart. King Richard, the legitimate ruler is away on the Crusades and Prince John contrives the story that he is raising taxes to pay the ransom to free King Richard. In truth, he is raising the taxes to overthrow his brother and take the throne.

So Robin Hood, loyal to God, Country and his fellow man, was acting in a legitimate manner, under authority, when he took action in protest against the unjust taxation by an illegitimate authority for an illegitimate purpose. Robin Hood was not a renegade or a socialist, he was a tax protester.

So it is today. The leftist propagandists who do have an answer for the non-partisan, fiscal prudence, anti-spending calls of the tax payer tea parties of 2009 are in full spin mode, attacking the messenger and twisting the message. Honor today is found in the peaceful protests of activists who know that the authorities (however loathsome) are legitimate but the policies are wrong. They know they cannot take up arms so they take up signs, blow horns and blogs. So while defamed daily by the leftist media, the tea party protesters are in very good company.