Column By Dr. Ann Hollingsworth
Helpfulness is considered to be a character trait we admire in others. The Bible even tells us to be a good Samaritan, treat others the way we want to be treated, etc. Americans seem to pride themselves on being helpful neighbors. But sometimes what seems to be helpful is actually harmful to a person.
Abraham Lincoln summed it up this way:
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away man’s initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.
If “Honest Abe” were to look at his countrymen today, he would see:
Live like a king by always flying now and paying later.
Take over the country by limiting the strong and giving to the weak.
Punish American entrepreneurs by giving business and tax breaks to foreigners.
Spend like money has no end.
Forget character formation - build a nation of mechanical zombies by paying them to not work. The more they don’t do for themselves, the less they will be able to – If they don’t use their independence, they will eventually lose it and you can be all-powerful as you jerk them around.
We are not dead yet, and there are still those who strive to keep us in the way of life that Honest Abe believed in. It is a struggle, but like freedom, nothing valuable is earned and kept without some hard work – some blood, sweat, and tears. The Supreme Court has given us some light, some states have upheld the right way on some legislation, and some schools have refused to teach “woke.” We just have to keep on keeping one – one step at a time.
