“Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting.” This old proverb comes close to saying it all. It embodies compassion, humility and teamwork, the essence of a code designed by people who value freedom and respect their fellow human beings.
Our religions are designed to meet this, as are our democratic tenets. A good philosophy for living but with one big rub, it depends on trust and commitment to responsible action. Its success is predicated on everyone following the same rules of conduct, working for the mutual good.
The Constitution embodies these ideals, and our legal system is set to protect them. It is a repudiation of greed without succumbing to total socialism. A “help when necessary” attitude without becoming a permanent crutch. But the rub, in the form of personal greed, is still with us. All it takes is for a few to slightly change the proverb wording to “give with remembering,” so now favors can be exchanged, generating greater wealth and more ability to “give with remembering.”
And so the cycle grows, with laws twisted or overlooked by our designated monitors, a suction force that pulls wealth to the top of an antiquated, old-world social pyramid. Instead of promoting general welfare, we are back to crowning tyrants. Why do we allow this? Ask yourself, “Why do I allow this?”
