Thinking about Liberty
[This Marlin Oil advertorial appears in the May 26, 2011 edition of The City Sentinel.]
This space has been devoted to reflections about liberty and, from time to time, responsibility.
In this corner, public policy proposals were always viewed from a position devoted to traditional American values of economic freedom, limited government, personal responsibility, and a strong national defense.
The future is murky. There is no guarantee that for America, or Oklahoma, things will get better, or worse. The only guarantee is that conditions and circumstances will change, and leaders of our community, state, and nation will have to adjust.
So long as Oklahomans support principles of limited government, a framework will exist to build a better state, and more productive lives for our citizens.
With liberty comes responsibility to remain attentive to those who suffer from want of the basics of life. The most basic ingredient for successful living is missing from the lives of too many children these days. That is the love and structure that can only come from an attentive and loving adult who sets boundaries, provides a wholesome example, and meets essential needs.
It seems only prudent for those with financial resources to find ways to assist in providing means to fill the poverty of values that afflicts all levels of the common culture.
It was no surprise to learn from Parade magazine, reporting on a recent study, that Oklahomans were the most generous people in the nation, on a per capita basis.
Government resources were never sufficient to address the needs of our people, and will never be sufficient in the future.
In the end, the solution to the problems of our day begins with the man, or woman, in the mirror. The best way to demonstrate devotion to social welfare, to show compassion for the less fortunate, to meet the needs of the grieving and afflicted, is with personal resources of money and time.
In the Bible, the Good Samaritan was the one who did not turn away when he saw a stranger in pain. He chose, freely, to stop, render aid, and provide money to the one who had been beaten, robbed, and left alone. When the Rabbi who told that story reflected on its meaning, He spoke words that resonate even more today than they did nearly 2,000 years ago: Go and do the same.
The best way to honor those who bequeathed liberty to us is to live in a way worthy of their examples, including support for policies that leave us free to choose.
Keep thinking about liberty.
This space has been devoted to reflections about liberty and, from time to time, responsibility.
In this corner, public policy proposals were always viewed from a position devoted to traditional American values of economic freedom, limited government, personal responsibility, and a strong national defense.
The future is murky. There is no guarantee that for America, or Oklahoma, things will get better, or worse. The only guarantee is that conditions and circumstances will change, and leaders of our community, state, and nation will have to adjust.
So long as Oklahomans support principles of limited government, a framework will exist to build a better state, and more productive lives for our citizens.
With liberty comes responsibility to remain attentive to those who suffer from want of the basics of life. The most basic ingredient for successful living is missing from the lives of too many children these days. That is the love and structure that can only come from an attentive and loving adult who sets boundaries, provides a wholesome example, and meets essential needs.
It seems only prudent for those with financial resources to find ways to assist in providing means to fill the poverty of values that afflicts all levels of the common culture.
It was no surprise to learn from Parade magazine, reporting on a recent study, that Oklahomans were the most generous people in the nation, on a per capita basis.
Government resources were never sufficient to address the needs of our people, and will never be sufficient in the future.
In the end, the solution to the problems of our day begins with the man, or woman, in the mirror. The best way to demonstrate devotion to social welfare, to show compassion for the less fortunate, to meet the needs of the grieving and afflicted, is with personal resources of money and time.
In the Bible, the Good Samaritan was the one who did not turn away when he saw a stranger in pain. He chose, freely, to stop, render aid, and provide money to the one who had been beaten, robbed, and left alone. When the Rabbi who told that story reflected on its meaning, He spoke words that resonate even more today than they did nearly 2,000 years ago: Go and do the same.
The best way to honor those who bequeathed liberty to us is to live in a way worthy of their examples, including support for policies that leave us free to choose.
Keep thinking about liberty.
