E-Mail From Heritage

Often I get thought provoking notices from Heritage Foundation, announcing upcoming speakers. Wish I were in D.C. so I could attend more of them. In my inbox today:

Fredrick Douglass (an outstanding black leader) argued that “The sum of the black man's misfortunes and calamities are just here: He is everywhere treated as an exception to all the general rules which should operate in the relations of other men.”

In light of this, what should we think about Black History Month? What was its original purpose, and has it outlived this purpose? And does it now serve to divide rather than unite America, highlighting racial differences and fostering “identity politics” -- where individuals are treated differently depending on their race and not their merit?

Questions well worth pondering, in my opinion. Frederick Douglas was a wise man.

Could not the same be said for other minority groups? Personal responsibility and the rule of law apply to all of us. Yet, we try to single out certain groups for preferential treatment citing all sorts of excuses that ultimately infantalize them. Singling out only creates a huge sense of entitlement, destroys the incentive to grow up and only forestalls the inevitable and painful show down. In other words, in the end, it does more harm than good.

Today we make careers of separating out ourselves and other groups for special treatment in the name of political correctness, such as Hispanics, illegals, gays, the new underclass of men battered by extreme feminism, sick people who want unlimited drugs and healthcare instead of taking the slightest care of themselves or their health through diet and exercise, and finally the newest victims du jour, poor homeowners who were forced by the government and unscrupulous bankers to buy more house and take on a bigger mortgages than they could afford.
It was all foisted on them.

And on and on. One common refrain of the victim of the day: "Someone else made me do it, so it's their fault and not mine. Therefore, you owe it to me to make it right. I don't deserve to suffer one iota for my actions and I'm going to throw tantrum after tantrum until you and the taxpayers give me what I want."

The real cure is always the same: Individuals must step up to the plate and take responsibility for their part in creating the problem in the first place. Next, take steps to repair the damage while remaining within the Rule of Law. Then move on as an adult and stop whining about past injustices, or demanding the world make it all right for us. Wisdom always comes from making mistakes and finally learning from them.

It does not come from constantly making exceptions.

Electing leaders who indulge our senses of entitlement, like Hillary and Obama, may look good on the front end, but only bring us more heartache on the backend both individually and collectively as a nation.

This does not preclude the need for compassion. But it does preclude the demand that others take responsibility for what only we can do and ultimately undo.