UNCOMMON CENTS

K.I.S.S. KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID - ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL - THIS CORE BELIEF WAS RE-ITERATED BY ABRAHAM LINCOLN IN HIS NOV. 19TH, 1863 GETTYSBURG ADDRESS. BUT AS SUZI ORMAN, THE POPULAR FINANCIAL PLANNER, REMINDS US, SOME OF US ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS BECAUSE THOSE WHO TAKE PERSONAL CONTROL OF THEIR POCKETBOOKS FEEL BETTER THAN OTHERS WHO ARE OUT OF CONTROL. THE PHILOSOPHICAL UNDERPINNING OF LINCOLN'S GREAT SPEECH IS DEMOCRACY, THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE. JUST THINK. IN 1863, THE UNITED STATES WAS THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD WITH IT'S FRAGILE EXISTENCE SORELY TESTED BY CONFLICTING IDEAS ABOUT SLAVERY AND UNION. HERE WE ARE ALMOST 150 YEARS LATER WITH FREE CHOICES UNDREAMED OF AT THE TIME OF THE CIVIL WAR, BUT IN MAKING THEM, AMERICANS REFLECT THE IRRESPONSIBILITY OF OUR TIMES.

A COMPONENT OF ‘ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL’ IS AN IMPOSITION OF SELF-RESTRAINT, THAT IS, EACH PERSON SHOULD REFUSE TO LAY UPON OTHERS BURDENS HE OR SHE DOES NOT WISH LAID UPON HIMSELF OR HERSELF. ONE SHOULD NOT HINDER OTHERS FROM THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS NOR IMPOSE UPON OTHERS UNNECESSARY BURDENS BECAUSE EACH INDIVIDUAL SHOULD PROVIDE FOR HIMSELF OR HERSELF. EQUALITY IS A GOOD BASED ON THE NATURAL LAW, NOT ON PERSONAL COMFORT. SELF-RESTRAINT AND PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY ARE IMPLICATIONS NOT TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. ABRAHAM LINCOLN EMPHASIZED THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS DUTY TO EACH OTHER AND TO A UNIFIED SOCIETY. THIS DUTY SHOULD BE A SOURCE OF PRIDE. AN INCREDIBLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING FLOWS FROM TAKING CONTROL OF ONE'S DESTINY SHUNNING VICTIM HOOD WHICH CLAIMS EXCUSES BECAUSE OF CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND ONE’S CONTROL.

I SAW A STATISTIC THAT WHEN IT COMES TO THE DEFENSE OF SOCIAL SECURITY, THE PARTY PERCEIVED TO DO A BETTER JOB WAS THE DEMOCRAT, NOT THE REPUBLICAN. WHAT ABOUT THE PARTY INVOLVED IN SOCIAL SECURITY ITSELF - YOURSELF? HOW MUCH BETTER WOULD AMERICANS FEEL ABOUT THEMSELVES - TALK ABOUT SELF-ESTEEM - IF THEY PRACTICED SELF-RESTRAINT WITH THEIR SPENDING AND PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE?

A GENERIC, 36 CENTS A LB. THANKSGIVING TURKEY, OVEN-ROASTED IN A $200 RANGE WILL TASTE JUST AS LIP-SMACKING GOOD AS A $2.00 A LB. BRAND NAME (BUTTERBALL?) WITH A POP-UP BUTTON POPPED INTO A $1000 VIKING RANGE (ON WHICH MOST OF THE BURNERS WILL BE UNUSED). LEFT-OVERS SUFFICE FOR ADDITIONAL ECONOMICAL MEALS. THE CONCEPT -AND THEN THE HABIT - OF CHOOSING GENERIC OVER PREMIUM IS NOT BE FAR BEHIND. THE EXCITEMENT IS IN THE CHASE TO DISCOVER ECONOMICAL SUBSTITUTIONS FOR MORE COSTLY, MASS-MARKETED GOODS. WE ALL SHARE THE TRADITION OF FREEDOM OF CHOICE. K.I.S.S.