Giving thanks for self-reliant Americans by Michelle Malkin

Giving thanks for self-reliant Americans
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2008

In The Year of Bottomless Bailouts, I am most grateful this Thanksgiving for Americans who refuse to abandon thrift, personal responsibility, and self-reliance. When the moochers and entitlement-mongers drive you mad, remember that our nation still serves as home to millions of citizens who do for themselves. Like our Founding Fathers, they are God-fearing people – the ones elitist pundits deride as “oogedy-boogedy” – who will never put their faith in The Cult of You Owe Me.

They are people like my reader Jen, who runs a family farm called the Double Nickel in New Mexico. Tired of hearing all the hand-wringing, “in times like these” rationalizations for unprecedented federal intervention in the market to rescue beleaguered businesses and homeowners, Jen wrote me a letter this week about her own plight and triumph over adversity:

“I am writing to you to share my story of how one can survive hard times and land solidly on one’s feet…

So here goes: My husband had an auto accident on 1 January 2005, and our lives and finances changed dramatically. Our income was cut in half as he has permanent injuries, and went from being a field officer to a desk job in a less fast paced career…”