To give or not to give

Before the 20th century, Americans embraced a fierce belief in individualism, perseverance, and self‑determination—a conviction that people should rise or fall on their own merits, free from government interference. It echoed the 18th‑century faith in Capitalism, what Adam Smith famously called the invisible hand. Government existed to wage war, promote trade, and run the post office—nothing more.

That limited role sometimes produced brutal clashes between 19th‑century labor unions and a government aligned with big business. Troops fired on striking workers, killing hundreds, all in the name of protecting Capitalism. Yet even in that turmoil, one truth endured: Americans believed freedom was worth fighting for.

I believe in that freedom. It carried me through the long, uncertain climb of a journalism career. As a disabled veteran, I could have lived quietly on government benefits, never lifting a pen. But I had a fire in my belly, talent that demanded daylight, and a willingness to risk failure for the chance to create something meaningful.

So I ask: Can government restrain free enterprise—or the human spirit’s drive to become something greater? Some argue that programs like Social Security and welfare uplift the public. Many people rely on them. But others yearn to shine, to build, to contribute, to rise.

The Safety Net

When I left the U.S. Army, the government gave me 30 percent disability benefits to help me rebuild my life after schizophrenia. I accepted—not out of dependence, but gratitude. That support helped me become who I am: a career journalist. The G.I. Bill put me through college. I seized the American Dream.

Over the years, my disability rating rose from 30 to 50 to 70, and eventually to 100 percent. At 100 percent, you no longer need to work. And that terrified me. I feared becoming a nonentity—someone who stopped striving, stopped improving, stopped giving.

A safety net is essential for those who truly cannot work. As a nation, we must protect the vulnerable from hunger, homelessness, and despair. But those who can work must work. Labor builds prosperity. Labor builds dignity. Labor builds meaning.

The Lincoln Effect

Abraham Lincoln grew up poor, uneducated, and unknown. But he had that same fire. Studying by firelight, he imagined a life bigger than the one he was born into. He became a prairie lawyer—and ultimately the greatest U.S. President in American history.

The 19th century had a phrase for this: pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. The self‑made man was the American ideal. Dream boldly. Seize opportunity. Become who you choose to be.

My mentor John Kropp put it another way: keep on punching until you punch a winner. Reach for the moon. If you miss, you’ll land among the stars.