July 16, 2008

Wild Pigs

This was sent to me by a dynamic sistren whom I was privileged to meet during my previous corporate life.

A chemistry professor in a large college had some exchange students in the class. One day while the class was in the lab the professor noticed one young exchange student who kept rubbing his back and stretching as if his back hurt. The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist government.

In the midst of his story he looked at the professor and asked a strange question. He asked, 'Do you know how to catch wild pigs?' The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said this was no joke.

'You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come every day to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in the last side. The pigs, who are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat, you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd. Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity.'

The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening to America . The government keeps pushing us toward socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, etc.. While we continually lose our freedoms -- just a little at a time.

One should always remember: There is no such thing as a free lunch! Also, a politician will never provide a service for you cheaper than you can do it yourself.

'A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have.' - Thomas Jefferson

This refers to the unfolding situation in America, but the freeness mentality that corrupts so many Jamaican minds leaves us vulnerable to the same encroachments.

3 Shared Thoughts:

Di said...

Interesting analogy. All I can say is things are really getting bad here. We had a bank fail just last week.

LADY ROOTS said...

Sistren Di,

I am glad you are becoming a regular reader, willing to share her thoughts.

Jamaica's most devastating bank failure was Century National Bank several years ago. Now, it is the failure of non-regulated financial entities like CashPlus and Olint that are hurting Jamaican investors.

But even worse is the growing belief that it is OK to breed unchecked and then wait for the government to house, feed, clothe and educate your children.

We need more adherents to belief in hard work, living within our means and saving towards a goal.

Our world needs prayer.

Bless Up,
Lady Roots

Di said...

I couldn't agree with you more!!!