When gifts are replaced by rights
British philosopher Roger Scruton writes in the Wall Street Journal's Notable & Quotable.
Here is another quote from Roger Scruton, from England, An Elegy, that we both like very much -
Almost the entire social order of the country arose from private initiatives. Schools, colleges and universities; municipalities, hospitals, theatres; festivals and even the army regiments, all tell the same story: some public-spirited amateur, raising funds, setting out principles, acquiring premises, and then bequeathing his [or her] achievement to trustees or to the Crown . . . Their attitude to officialdom reflected their conviction that, if something needs doing, then the person to do it is you.
A lovely idea, in theory and in our experience!
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