In a letter printed in the May 30, 2008 Wichita Eagle, Margaret Wooldridge of Park City, Kansas criticizes opponents of the proposed bond issue for USD 259, the Wichita, Kansas public school district. The mysterious “Boondoggler” at Wichita 259 Truth exposes the several problems with this letter in the post BOE Meetings and Letters.
In my opinion, the worst part of this letter is where the writer invokes the spirit of President Kennedy with the plea “We need to ask ourselves not what our community can do for us, but what can we do for our community.”
But is the “community” the only way to organize and get things done? By community, I believe Ms. Wooldridge really means government, which develops one-size-fits-all solutions that squash individuality, entrepreneurship, and creativity. Then, it enforces its solution through force and coercion. So if you don’t agree with what the community decides is best for you and your children, what then do you do?
According to this letter writer, you must have an agenda if you don’t agree with what she wants us to do, which is to “try working for the students of USD 259.” Isn’t that an agenda right there, Ms. Wooldridge, one that suits your personal needs? I might also remind readers that the taxpayers of the community work hard enough to supply the Wichita public schools with some $577 million this year.
To understand more about the dangers of the collectivist sentiment this letter writer relies on, I recommend reading the introduction to Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman. About Kennedy’s statement he wrote: “Neither half of the statement expresses a relation between the citizen and his government that is worthy of the ideals of free men in a free society.”
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