To the Editor
A look at the Illinois Budget Mess . . . in the July 21st . . . DAILY AMERICAN REPUBLIC . . . proves what I have been reading the last few months. Almost 2000 yrs. ago, Scottish professor Alexander Fraser Tytler wrote these words about the Athenian Republic, which had fallen more than 2 thousand years earlier.
"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of Government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the voters discover they can vote themselves gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been 200 years. During those 200 years [we are aprox. 240 yrs. old] . . . these nations always progressed through the following sequence . . . From bondage to spiritual faith; From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to liberty: From liberty to complacency; From complacency to apathy; From apathy to dependency; and from dependency to bondage."
An honest appraisal of our nation strongly indicates that we are moving toward the end of Proffesor Tytlers list "an apathetic nation. Webster definition of apathy is , , , " the feeling of not having much emotion or interest."
Professor Howard Steven Friedman, wrote an article in which he titled, . . . "The United States of Apathy's Motto is 'WE DON'T CARE" describing the indifferent attitude of our country.
For our children and grandchildren's sake, we need to pray and remember He said, "IF MY PEOPLE, WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND PRAY . . . ."
Bob Fox
Patterson, Mo.