The Crisis of Ownership

In 1775 roughly 80% of Americans owned their own businesses. Most of these were farmers, and their responsibility to the nation became deeply intertwined with their own livelihoods as they owned a bit of earth and let their love of self turn into love of country. They planted the seeds of survival and reaped the rewards of a rich community. Because they each were fully responsible for the outcome of their ventures they naturally became much more responsible than they would have been otherwise. Today only 10% of Americans own their own business. Although many Americans have owned a business at some point in their lives, the fact that it is no longer the predominant way of life provides a huge gap between the people today and the citizens that the founders envisioned being able to govern themselves. Ownership of land and business naturally creates a sort of care that is difficult to teach. Our nation was designed for a people that owned their own means of sustenance, and it is vital that we close the gap between ourselves and what once was, or we risk abusing the freedom that we were given.

Ownership of a business creates a sense responsibility to one’s community and the nation. The farmers at the beginning of our nation could not afford to be lazy or take days off. Hard work was vital, and the effects of poor farming practices were felt directly. If a small business owner stopped taking the steps necessary for their business to succeed they would no longer be able to support their family or play the vital role in their community that they were. To so tangibly see the frontier turned into towns and places habitable for humans made farmers feel connected to the fate of their nation. Rather than solely being a purely individual exercise, it was impossible for early American farmers to separate their work from the strength of their community and nation. Even if an individual is entirely motivated by selfishness, they must at least continue the exterior act of responsibility. This will naturally lead to growth in interior responsibility no matter the starting point.…