January 25, 2024 | www.keysnews.com
The leisurely pace of the new year gives birth to reflection. We celebrate the new year, but from time immemorial each new year proves the prescience of Ecclesiastes, that there is nothing new under the sun. Then why do the celebrations endure? Because hope springs eternal. Happiness is commonly the temporary suspension of disbelief. Dreams are our nectar and ambrosia.
What do ordinary Americans want? They do not want a free lunch. That leaves an empty soul lacking in self-esteem. You can’t be proud of being born with a silver spoon. The more challenging the struggle, the more euphoric the triumph. Ordinary Americans want a fair opportunity to develop their faculties and pursue their ambitions unhandicapped by the accident of birth. Character and accomplishments are all that should count. President Abraham Lincoln instructed that the leading object of government was “to elevate the condition of men — to lift artificial weights from all shoulders — to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all — to afford all, an unfettered start, and a fair chance, in the race of life.