John,
This is a very good post. I think the wisdom is great. I especially like the closing statement;

"making our system work better for everyone, not just the few and the priveleged and the powerful."

In my mind, in order to stay with the topic of this website, in my minds eye, were it not for the few an the priveleged of the south, we would not have had the late unpleasantness of the 1860's
Frank