The Ten Cannots
As I walked down the streets of Angel’s Camp, I noticed a poster in a store window. It had a picture of Abraham Lincoln and listed the Ten Cannots. I liked the message. When I had time, I searched the words on the internet and discovered that the words were often attributed to Lincoln but were the words of Reverand William John Henry Boetcker. I aspire to Boetcker’s eloquence. Here are his cannots.
-
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
-
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
-
You cannot help little men by tearing down big men.
-
You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
-
You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
-
You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.
-
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
-
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.
-
You cannot build character and courage by destroying men’s initiative and independence.
-
And you cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves.