People must fight for something they want to achieve, not simply reject an evil. - Ludwig von Mises
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the wage-earner by pulling down the wage-payer. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves. – Abraham Lincoln
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I believe that liberty is the only genuinely valuable thing that men have invented, at least in the field of government, in a thousand years. I believe that it is better to be free than to be not free, even when the former is dangerous and the latter safe. I believe that the finest qualities of man can flourish only in free air – that progress made under the shadow of the policeman’s club is false progress, and of no permanent value. I believe that any man who takes the liberty of another into his keeping is bound to become a tyrant, and that any man who yields up his liberty, in however slight the measure, is bound to become a slave. – H.L. Mencken
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My fellow citizens — those of you here in this hall and those of you at home — I want you to know that I have always had the highest respect for you, for your common sense and intelligence and for your decency. I have always believed in you and in what you could accomplish for yourselves and for others.
And whatever else history may say about me when I’m gone, I hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears, to your confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will travel the road ahead with liberty’s lamp guiding your steps and opportunity’s arm steadying your way.
My fondest hope for each one of you — and especially for the young people here — is that you will love your country, not for her power or wealth, but for her selflessness and her idealism. May each of you have the heart to conceive, the understanding to direct, and the hand to execute works that will make the world a little better for your having been here.
May all of you as Americans never forget your heroic origins, never fail to seek divine guidance, and never lose your natural, God-given optimism.
And finally, my fellow Americans, may every dawn be a great new beginning for America and every evening bring us closer to that shining city upon a hill. – Ronald Reagan, 1992
Happy 4th of July, Everyone! We’re on our way to the cabin in Northern Minnesota, where tonight this will be our vista. Here’s to bright tomorrows!
We hear the cynics, but pay them no mind. We pass by the pessimists and the doomsayers, knowing that they’ll always be with us, but confident that they no longer can hold our country back unless we let them. We see before us a future worthy of our past and a tomorrow greater than all our yesterdays. – Ronald Reagan
Photo Credit
Longville, Minnesota Fireworks – Peter Wuebker
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Betsy – Thanks for sharing these fine words and awesome videos. Hope you’ve had a happy 4th of July and have a wonderful time at your cabin.
Happy 4th of July Betsy. “May every dawn be a great new beginning.” I’m feeling very patriotic after reading this post. Hope you have a fantastic celebration at your cabin Betsy… and Peter. Great fireworks photo.
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Fantastic quotes. I really liked the first Ronald Regan one. I read, and listened, intently. I felt like he was speaking to me from the past.
Happy 4th. We spent ours over at my parent’s house. My 3 year old had his first “cool” 4th of July!
Hi Betsy,
I LOVE the quote by Abraham Lincoln, especially, “…You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.” How true is that?
I hope you had a lovely 4th of July. We had a relaxing day and took time out to attend a (you’ll love this), a tea party. It was a wonderful event that not only honored our freedom but Veterans, as well.
Our fireworks were awesome, too.
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Beautifully inspiring. I just read this on July 6 and it still feels good. Thank you.
“hat any man who yields up his liberty, in however slight the measure, is bound to become a slave. – H.L. Mencken
This is why I maintain that employment is slavery.
Tom Volkar / Delightful Work´s last blog post..What’s Your Main Thing?
Like the roots and branches of a mighty tree, 0ur past holds the strength of our future upward to the light and sky. Holidays like the 4th and posts like these act as touchstones to those foundations, lest we forget.
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Betsy,
Hope you and Pete had a great 4th and what a great photograph – we are beginning to expect some fantastic photos from you folks!
I was resonating with the Abe Lincoln phrase also about doing for others, I think that is a lesson everyone has to learn somewhere along the line…we are seeing that in our office the 30 and 40 year olds have this expectation that my husband will just keep doing it ALL and they are entitled to the rewards and benefits – they were raised that way…at 62 and 3 partners have retired ( husband has to work until 75 to over come this down turn and pay off all the medical loans) I believe he is entitled here to do some of his best work at his peak of creativity!
I was excited about the last election because I think so many young people finally learned some civic responsibility and understanding
I think the downturn will be some good lessons in life and how to live in a just society.
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Hi Cath – Thank you! We are having a wonderful time and the weather has been spectacular.
Hi Davina – Aren’t these words inspiring and universal? Thank you.
Hi John – Yes, Reagan was the Great Communicator. The key to it was his down-home folksiness. There was no barrier between the man and what he said. He was simply right. Thanks.
Hi Barbara – It sounds like you had a wonderful time! And yes, that Lincoln quote is very prescient, isn’t it? Thanks.
Hi Tom – I agree. When someone owns your time, they own you. Thanks for your comment.
Hi Lori – You are so right. The touchstones ensure the ideas live on. Thank you.
Hi Patricia – Yes, Pete took some great fireworks shots again this year! I believe the reason Lincoln is revered is for his common sense and eloquent wisdom. It is a great quote that I hadn’t recalled seeing before. Thank you.
Hi Betsy – hope you had a nice break at the cabin!
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Hi Robin – Thanks, we did! It is always difficult to leave, but we came home to more gardening projects in my mind.
Ooo, a cabin visit. How delightful it must have been.
And your new gardening projects? Going great I imagine.
(R.I.P Ronnie Reagan, I wish you were an advisor today. You should be!)
And could we use another man like Herbert Hoover again? That line from the “All In The Family” theme song has alway stuck with me and made me wonder, for all these year!
Gee our old LaSalle ran great….
xo
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Hi Jannie – Yes, I get so nostalgic for Reagan – and of course, Pete thinks he is up there walking on water. I don’t know about Hoover; he sure did get blamed for a lot!
The new gardening projects are fixing to begin. I’ve got a lot of digging to do. I set out to do it before the weekend, but someone has made a home right where I wanted to shovel. I was a-skeered to find out who! It’s a man’s job, right? Thanks.