Hear, Hear, Silent Cal
"Perhaps one of the most important accomplishments of my administration
has been minding my own business. Government shouldn't play a part in
everyday life. Jefferson said that the people should be left to manage
their own affairs. His opposition will bear careful analysis, and the
country could stand a good deal more of its application. The trouble
with us is we talk about Jefferson, but we do not follow him. In this
theory that the people should manage their government, and not be
managed by it, he was everlastingly right."
– Calvin Coolidge
Coolidge in 2016!
ReplyDeleteWhen Reagan took office, he took down a picture of Truman (one of the last halfway-decent democRat presidents), and put up a picture of Coolidge.
ReplyDeleteSilent Cal believed the amount of speaking he did was less important than the quality of the speech. The current officeholder could learn from his example.
In fact, there's a story that Coolidge was at a party, and the hostess came up to him and exclaimed, "Mr. President, I made a bet that I could get you to speak more than two words in a row." He looked her up, looked her down and said, "You lose."
Similarly, we talk about Christ, but we do not follow him.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think it is because His path is difficult.
I wonder why a country that espouses freedom is so intent on government dictating everything? Are we so afraid we will fail if left to choose for ourselves?