Once upon a time, there were no public libraries.
Then there were a few isolated public libraries.
Then Andrew Carnegie made it a mission to create a great many public libraries.
And for several generations there were stories of poor folks going to the library to educate themselves and build better lives.
Today, it seems like the poor folks don't see much reason to bother with any of that.
Lesson #1) In an age before Income Tax, rich people engaged in great works of philantrophy which greatly improved the lives of the poor.
Lesson #2) Government handouts from FDR and LBJ killed most of the incentive for poor people to improve their lives.
Tear down the government. It's killing us.
Lesson #2) Government handouts from FDR and LBJ killed most of the incentive for poor people to improve their lives.
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I lived in Delaware for a while. The Du Pont family were very very generous. The built schools, hospitals, roads, set land aside for beautiful parks, supported the arts, and created museums.