Words to live by

These words are frequently misattributed to Abraham Lincoln, due to a speech Ronald Reagan gave in 1992. The true author of these words was William J. H. Boetcker,a 19th-century, German born Presbyterian minister. These words appeared in a pamphlet he published in 1916, entitled "The Ten Cannots".

• You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
• You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
• You cannot help little men by tearing down big men.
• You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
• You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
• You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.
• You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
• You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.
• You cannot build character and courage by destroying men's initiative and independence.
• And you cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves.

These ten statements are what differentiates traditional liberal values from conservative values. They espouse civic virtue, personal responsibility and personal liberty, while not creating a reliance upon the state to provide everything for everybody. However, in my opinion, neither of the mainstream political parties in this country truly represent these values. The Republican party used to be close, but has strayed over the years. And the Democratic party, in my opinion, was never very close. Perhaps it is time for a 3rd party to emerge? Sure, I know our political system already has numerous "also-rans". However, none of them are big enough to compete, nor will the Big 2 really allow them to compete.

Why is it we have 12 candidates from which to chose the next American Idol, but only 2 from which to chose our next president?