In his column in the Sun this past Sunday, Mike Shelton enumerated the generosity of the Yuma community.  He cited the voluntary giving of many individuals to such worthwhile organizations as Oprah’s Big Give, Crossroads Mission, Amberly’s Place, MOM’S Club, Relay for Life, and the Yuma Community Food Bank.  He also cited the Norwalk Motorcycle Club and how it was able to raise voluntary funds from individuals for its charities and how the Humane Society of Yuma is funded through voluntary donations. 

 

Also noted was the raising of voluntary funds by the United Fire Fighters Association for victims of muscular dystrophy.  Individuals also provided funds for the Stewart Vincent Wolfe Creative Playground.  Now one can add to the list the voluntary contribution by Gowan Company to the Crane School District to help educate Yuma children. 

 

These are but a very few of the acts of giving by individuals.  Indeed, Yuma as well as communities all over America have individuals providing for others all the time.  When one adds in the activity of free trade, whereby individuals voluntarily trade with others not only to help themselves but the other person with whom they trade, millions of individuals are better off, provided for, and economic growth takes place. 

 

However, in order to have the ability to voluntarily help, either monetarily or in kind, one must have the means with which to do so.  The beauty of the free society is that it allows the individual to keep all the fruits of his labor and to do with it as he pleases.  A free society, though, sometimes means individuals are stingy and do not share.  Individuals, nevertheless, must still feed, clothe, and house themselves.  Through free trade in these areas and many others, individuals make each other better off.  In this way individuals are provided for even if one is penny-pinching. 

 

However, the American people have a long history of sharing.  The reason is that Americans in the past have been free to choose, unencumbered by government taxation, rules, and regulations.  It is in those societies that allow for more individual liberty where one will find the greatest economic growth and the maximum number of individuals being able to provide for others.  Very few people in Africa provide for others because individual liberty does not exist or exists on an extremely limited scale.  It is the same reason the people of North Korea need to import food to prevent starvation. 

 

In order to provide one must have the ability to do so.  In order to have the ability to provide one must be free to earn whatever amount of income he is able and to be free to choose how to use it. 

 

Freedom does provide and is what made America great.  Freedom continues to provide and America continues to be great so long as the idea of individual liberty prevails in the hearts and minds of individuals.