Editor, The Herald:

Could it really be that the land of the free, the home of the brave, the home of liberty and justice for all; the birthplace of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, is soon to be seen only in the rearview mirror? Rabbi Steven Pruzansky of Congregation Bnai Yeshurun thinks so, and while I put great value in hope, his words ring eerily true. He has doubt that we will be able to make a come back as a free nation from our current decline.

The average life span of democracies has been around two hundred years and after that they fizzle out. The problem is not the theory of the system, but the people themselves. While the true author of the idea that democracies last until the people find out that they can vote themselves large sums from the public treasury remains unknown, the idea is true. People love free stuff. This is called the land of the free, but it has become the land of the free ride. Of course there is legitimate need among the poor but are there 47,000,000 people who need to be on food stamps? I wonder how many billions are doled out in governmental assistance program? Even the non-citizen, the illegal alien, gets a joyful welcome to the United States treasury. The Muslim terrorists in the Boston bombing received $100,000 of out tax money over a ten-year period.

We are right at this very moment witnessing the end of the two-party system in America. With about half the citizenry of the country living in households receiving some sort of government assistance, how many of them will vote for the candidate who sees the absolute need to reduce the take? None! The Free Riders will ask, “Who loves me'?” The Obama administration says, “We do and here is a handout to prove it”. The reality is, however, it is a love for the Free Rider's vote. Controlling the vote and holding on to power is the holy grail.

I have a feeling that we are going to slip into a one-party system and some will cry out that it is the will of the people. It will in fact be the will of the people, but it will be a people who think the freebees will go on forever. However, freebees are never free; somebody has to pay for them. Sooner or later the hungry red dragon of Asia is going to want its money back. What then? Who is going to pay?

Lewis Brandt

Dillwyn