Well Stated

Thought I'd share one of my dad's more brilliant emails to a new neighbor is affiliated with a staunchly conservative organization and emailed my mom ... I am reminded of the many drop-ins by 7th Day Adventists over the years when I lived at home. Dad would always listen patiently, then counter proselytize. 
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Sean,

We oppose the big government agenda of many members of the Democratic Party.  And we support (1) limiting the economic power of the State, (2) restoring the free and competitive market system for determining just prices, just wages and just profits, and (3) restoring the original principles of private property, especially in corporate equity.  However, we are disappointed in the total failure of most of today's conservatives to promote the goal of (4) equal opportunity for every citizen to become a capital owner.

The Virginia Declaration of Rights, authored by George Mason and adopted on June 29, 1776, reads: 

"All men are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety."

Americans for Prosperity should be sensitive to the systemic barriers in today's tax laws, Federal Reserve policies and Wall Street financing practices that have enabled the 400 most wealthy Americans to have acquired more ownership of productive capital than the bottom 150 million Americans combined.  The ownership gap between the tope 1% and the bottom 90% continues to widen each year.  Is it any wonder that a growing number of propertyless voters vote for those advocating a redistributive welfare state?

There is a market-based alternative system that is becoming known as The Just Third Way . . . and we emphasize the word "Just."  It advocates a "solution" called "The Capital Homestead Act", a 21st century updating of Lincoln's land-based Homestead Act of 1862.  We suggest you carefully study these reforms, none of which violate the property rights of today's owners.

Here is a "Quotes Collection", including Ronald Reagan's call for an "Industrial Homestead Act", plus planks in the Republican Party platforms of 1936, 1976 and 1980 supporting broad based capital ownership.  You'll should also see supporting quotes from Hubert Humphrey, the Joint Economic Committee of Congress, Teddy Roosevelt, Lincoln, John Adams, Popes Leo XIII, Pius XI, John Paul II, Francis, Walter Reuther, and many other prominent people throughout history.  Here's a short video speech by Ronald Reagan in 1987 expressing his support for these ideas.

We hope, Sean, that you contact us when you move to Virginia as the new state director of Americans for Prosperity-Virginia.  We support and have dedicated our lives to the goal of Prosperity, but for everyone, not just the wealthy few.

For Peace, Prosperity and Freedom, only through Justice for all,
Norm and Marie Kurland

-- 
Norman G. Kurland, J.D.
President
Center for Economic and Social Justice (CESJ)
P.O. Box 40711, Washington, DC 20016
(O) 703-243-5155, (F) 703-243-5935
(E) thirdway@cesj.org
(Web) http://www.cesj.org

"Own or be owned."