The other day we featured some quotes from several famous and accomplished historical figures. Here are two more sent me by a reader from the pen of Ben Franklin:
"Idleness and pride tax with a heavier hand than kings and parliaments."
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Some things never change. One reason today's "kings and parliaments" levy taxes is to compensate for the anchor imposed on our society by those Franklin might have described as idlers. The second quote is one that should be kept in mind by those who believe that government should take over as much of our lives as possible in order to make us more economically secure.
RLC