I miss Rush, especially near the holidays. I’m surprised his estate hasn’t done more with his legacy.
Happy Thanksgiving
L8r
Rush is the reason I read William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation.
Always enjoy hearing our history, presented by an unmistakable and deeply missed voice. Thanks for sharing, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Cheers!!!
Ditto
Miss you Rush! You weren’t perfect, same as the rest of us, but Jesus (who you came to know in your later years) forgives us who believe in Him.
It makes me happy that you are in heaven with Him.
Love you Rush.
I am a real estate instructor and one of the classes I teach is Code of Ethics for the National Association of Realtors (NAR). NAR has a statement in the Code training, “Under all is the land.” I always had a hard time understanding what those words referred to. As a long time Rush listener, I heard him telling the story for the 3rd or 4th time and then it dawned on me. “Under all is the land” referred to private land ownership. When the Pilgrims were told each family will be given their own plot of land and they will live or die depending how they treat and develop this gift. This was the first time in world history personal ownership of land has been granted and this was the spark that created the free enterprise system we enjoy today. If you read or listen to Rush’s rendition of Thanksgiving, “Under all is the land” will explain the responsibility of the freedom we enjoy today. I just pray we can keep this responsibility alive.
What we’ve all been taught is a part of the history: The Pilgrims came, they almost starved, the Indians taught them how to survive, and they had a big feast. All true. But it’s the tip of the iceberg.
The Puritans were being persecuted in Britain by the Church of England. They decided to get out. They first went to the Netherlands. After several years there, they decided to go to the New World for religious liberty.
They found some sponsors for their journey, who made William Bradford, their leader, sign a contract. It provided that every Pilgrim would get one share in a common store and they would all work for the community. (They would own nothing and be happy.)
They arrived at Plymouth Rock in 1620. Between the journey and that harsh first winter, about 44 of the original 100 settlers died. Including Governor Bradford’s wife.
The Native Americans taught them how to plant corn and fish, but according to Governor Bradford’s notes, even the most industrious didn’t work very hard at it. After all, why work so hard when you’re only going to get the same amount as the ones who don’t? Why expend all that effort for other people’s families when they’re not willing to expend the effort for themselves? So Governor Bradford changed the system.
Bradford assigned each family a plot of land and told them to work it as they saw fit, and they could keep the proceeds or trade it or sell it or give it away, if they chose. (Does this sound familiar?)
Well, they thrived. They produced an abundance of food and goods. Probably more than they could figure out what to do with. In gratitude to God, they had a big community feast to use and share all they had produced, and they invited the Indigenous to thank them for their help (and as a gesture of friendship.)
The original system in which everyone worked for the collective failed. It almost starved them to death. The new system, which incentivized producing as much as you wanted, produced an abundance they had to share.
Accordingly, one of the things I am grateful for today is Governor Bradford’s decision to abandon the failing collectivism of the original Compact and adopt a system based on incentive, which gave rise to an abundance we still enjoy.