June 3, 2012: Our readers write

In my journey through life, I had to deal with the fruits and the consequences of my actions. My military career had  high and low points, but I made it to the finish. I couldn’t retire completely with my military pension and pursued a second career in law enforcement in October 1997. Over the years, I considered resigning many times.

However, my Dad didn’t raise quitters. Now I’m old enough with enough time to retire. In two years, I’ll either collect Social Security and retire or run for Hardin County Sheriff myself. I’m blessed to be married to a high achiever, and while we’re not millionaires, we have enough.

I won’t call anyone greedy just because they have more than I have. Prosperity usually depends upon how we made decisions and invested time and assets at key points in our lives. So many “nerds” who stayed sober, hung out at the library and were picked on for concentrating on grades instead of chasing pretty women across campus became prosperous and wound up with smart, pretty girls. Don’t declare class warfare on them, but use them as examples to our youth.

Life is a marathon card game. We all have to play the hand which we dealt ourselves with our own choices. I was raised in the District of Columbia/Maryland area and saw how, regardless of the race/ethnicity involved, public assistance established comfort zones which eroded initiative. It’s a nationwide problem.

If you want someone to seek upward mobility, don’t allow them to get comfortable where they are. I see a political intent of keeping certain people comfortable with “easy money,” so they’ll keep voting a certain way. Superfluous government jobs that are funded by increasing taxes are just as bad if not worse as liberals will never be able to tax the rich for enough money to fund jobs to employ everyone. Laziness and lack of personal responsibility are much greater problems than greed.

Harry M. Braxton Jr.

Elizabethtown