All for one
In his April 1 column, Jared Silverman stated we are “drowning our liberty in a sea of ‘entitlements’.” If this is so then we would have drowned at the time of the creation of our great country.
When the founding fathers crafted our unique Constitution they promised us life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but they provided for very few entitlements to fulfill this promise. However, in the course of our history our leaders have provided for universal entitlements which Mr. Silverman now takes for granted and would certainly not abandon, including education for all, police and fire protection for all, recreational facilities for all (national parks), etc. None of these were envisioned by the founding fathers but they are now part of the fabric that makes our country so great.
The health-care law ensures the well-being of all our people. It complements and is no less important than the other entitlements that are now part of our way of life. I hope that Mr. Silverman does not believe that now being compelled to pay for entitlements which we may not need or use at some point in our lives — such as education, public safety, or recreation — is a deprivation of our liberty. This requirement is part of being a democratic society in which all must pay a share according to their means.
Alfred Bien
Cranford
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