It was, of course, Thomas Paine who wrote the famous first volume “Common Sense” in the year 1776.

  In it he listed all the reasons that undertaking the American Revolution was necessary.  He also gave some advice which, with only the smallest amount of imagination, can be found directly applicable to our situation today.

  Speaking of the upcoming conflict with England Paine stated:

  “As parents, we can have no joy knowing that this government is not sufficiently lasting to ensure any thing which we may bequeath to posterity; and by a plain method of argument, as we are running the next generation into debt, we ought to do the work of it, otherwise we use them pitifully.”

  We are not in need of the kind of revolution Paine spoke of today, nevertheless, there are a number of continuing, festering, issues facing our society at this time which do demand real change and real attention.  And it is long past time, as Paine said, to do the work of it, lest we use the next generation pitifully.

  Many men died, and died willingly, for what we have in this country today.  Are we even worthy to live in it if we fail to build upon what they left or worse, leave it wretchedly poor when we inherited it hale and weathy?