I met a man the other day who said the national government
is so concerned about the welfare of every citizen that anyone who objects to
it is a fool. I must be a fool. And I’ll tell you what kind of fool I am. I think the acid test of any democratic government is the
degree of effective liberty it makes available to the individual. That criterion establishes the order of
values. All other things are relegated
to lower orders of priority.
Simply stated, these are my beliefs; I have a no-limitations
belief in people; I’ve never met a person I did not think possessed a
tremendous untapped potential. I’ve
never met a person who did not possess a capacity that could be developed, a
sleeping giant that could be awakened.
Through the same line of reasoning, I have a no-limitations
belief in myself. This isn’t egotism;
it’s self-confidence. My confidence is
based on know-how, and know-how comes from experience – experience that has
been gained by submitting myself to obstacles and circumstances that made other
people hesitate.
I have a no-limitations belief in potentials and
possibilities, the combination of people and ideas.
I want to be in business for myself. I want to operate my own business…write my
own paycheck…come and go as I please. I
want to control my own time.
I want to select my own physician and dentist. And if hospitalization is necessary, I want
to choose the institution where I’ll be treated.
I want to live in any town or city of my choice. The sole consideration will be my family’s
happiness, and the opportunity to make a contribution to the community.
I want to design, build, and decorate my own house.
...
Finally, I believe that the Bill of Rights was not designed
for corporations or government bureaus; it was designed for free people. Protecting individuals from the state has not
destroyed the state; it has merely forced government to live with the
democratic process.
The greatest natural resource of our nation is its
people. It follows inescapably that the
primary national goal to be pursued at all levels…federal, state, local, and
private…should be the development: of
each individual to his fullest potential.
If this belief is foolish…then that’s the kind of fool I am.
