OPINION:
The earliest Americans came to a strange, unsettled land with very few possessions but with an abundance of courage and a strong sense of confidence in their ability to endure and succeed.
The roofs over their heads and the food on their tables were theirs alone to provide. When threats came to the door in the frontier, each was theirs to fend off, alone. Their lives, home and hearth depended on their strength, preparedness and resourcefulness to repel each threat. Every family member played a vital part in the unit’s survival, making it stronger, with binds only death could break.
That individualism is the fiber of Americans, and it is anything but frigid.
Today, for many, it seems that threats and even inconveniences of every nature are dealt with by making a phone call. Shelter, food, protection — none of these is any longer our responsibility to provide for ourselves. Instead, they are provided for us. The effect is that the family unit is weakened, with the government filling every need.
The ensuing dependency robs us of our sense of self-reliance, not to mention our sense of pride. Over time, this has become acceptable, pervasive, even cultural. In a word, it’s collectivism. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is its face, and he sells it well. Calling it “warm” is misleading, as are his promises, which he will be unable to keep.
CHUCK EARY
West Fenwick, Delaware
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