Ten Cannots

Rev. William J. H. Boetcker. an outspoken political conservative is perhaps best remembered for his authorship of a pamphlet entitled The Ten Cannots; originally published in 1916. The Ten Cannots" has been repeated many times, most notably by Ronald Reagan in a speech he gave at the 1992 Republican convention in Houston. I think we need to remember each and every one of them.

• 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.