The past month President Obama has been trying to channel the spirit and essence of one of America's greatest leaders, Abraham Lincoln. Of course, they both hail from Illinois. Obama rode a train to his inauguration, just like Lincoln. He even used the same Bible Lincoln did to take the oath. And finally today, on Lincoln's birthday, Obama helped to reopen the theatre where Lincoln was murdered. Many people are caught up in the similarities between the two men. In fact, if you squint hard enough, they almost look like each other (except for the lack of beard, and, oh yeah, one of them is black).
Like Lincoln, President Obama is trying to heal the wounds of a divided nation, and honestly, I hope he succeeds. A few days ago I came across a quote from Lincoln. I wish that Obama would strive to emulate his hero more in the following area:
Property is the fruit of labor. Property is desirable, is a positive good in the world. That some should be rich shows that others may become rich and hence is just encouragement to industry and enterprise. Let not him who is houseless pull down the house of another, but let him work diligently to build one for himself, thus by example assuring that his own shall be safe from violence...I take it that it is best for all to leave each man free to acquire property as fast as he can. Some will get wealthy. I don't believe in a law to prevent a man from getting rich; it would do more harm than good. (Quoted from The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty, May 1955, p. 7.)
Much was made during the campaign about Obama's "spreading the wealth around" comment to Joe the Plumber. Somehow it has become a bad thing to acquire wealth. It is bad to be successful. People that achieve are just being selfish. I've never made a lot of money - my wife will wholeheartedly agree with that. But someday I would like to. Is that bad? If your boss came to you and said, "Nick, if you work just a little bit harder and put in a few more hours a week, I will increase your salary to $250K." Do you think you would turn that offer down? Would you say, "No, that's not for me. I don't want to have to pay more taxes and be considered a selfish bastard."
Wouldn't you jump on that offer? Just think of the good you could do with all that extra income - for your kids, for your church, for the needy. But apparently our government knows a better way to spend that money. I wish they would have consulted with Lincoln.
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