A little passage I read recently…
“True patriots know that America was founded in freedom–freedom to speak, to worship, to choose whatever path to happiness suits us best–but that with freedom comes an equal responsibility to country, community and family
True patriots believe that freedom from responsibility is selfishness, freedom from sacrifice is cowardice, freedom from tolerance is prejudice, freedom from stewardship is exploitation, and freedom from compassion is cruelty. True patriots know that we should measure our nation’s progress by whether every citizen has a fair shot to advance on the basis of talent and merit, and by the degree to which we promote the common success of all our citizens. Freedom without an equal chance to enjoy it is no freedom at all. True patriots believe it is immoral when inequality of opportunity leads to and perpetuates inequality itself. On a truly level playing field, some will do much better than others because we are not all equally talented or motivated. But when the tilt of the field keeps even the talented from ever winning, that is unfair and un-American. True patriots believe that we should measure a citizen’s worth by contribution to country and community, not by wealth or power–that those whom America has benefited most should contribute in proportion to their good fortune–and that serving others should be esteemed more highly than serving self. These were the ideals of the founders of our country and the defenders of our union. They have made America unique and necessary from the beginning. And now it is time for them to inspire a new generation of Americans.
Eric Liu; Nick Hanauer (2008-01-15). The True Patriot (pp. 20-22). Sasquatch Books. Kindle Edition.
These guys make a lot of sense. It’s not about how much you make, rather it’s about how much you contribute to the overall community.
