I am just one of the overwhelming majority of Americans who is

The words of Tammy Duckworth, a soldier, a leader, and a daughter of the Republic, echo with the humility and strength of one who has walked both in struggle and in gratitude: “I am just one of the overwhelming majority of Americans who is responsible and hard-working and at one point in their life benefited greatly from government programs such as student loans, Medicare, and Social Security.” These are not mere words of self-reflection; they are a hymn to interdependence, a sacred recognition that no greatness stands alone. For beneath the proud tower of individual achievement lies the invisible foundation of collective support—a foundation built by generations who labored not for themselves alone, but for the nation yet unborn.

In this saying, Duckworth does not speak as a lone hero, but as a voice of the many. She reminds us that the hard-working spirit of America is not diminished by accepting help—it is strengthened by it. There is a false pride that whispers, “I did it all myself.” But the wise know that even the mightiest oak once drew its strength from the soil and the rain. Likewise, the citizen draws nourishment from the soil of the common good, from the rivers of opportunity carved by those who came before. Student loans, Medicare, Social Security—these are not gifts of charity, but instruments of justice, born of the idea that a nation is strongest when it lifts all who labor within it.

In the time of the ancients, the philosopher Aristotle wrote that the city exists not merely for survival, but for the good life. He knew that no man is truly free who stands alone, and no society endures where the strong scorn the aid of the weak. So it is with us. When Duckworth speaks of benefit from government programs, she is not confessing weakness; she is honoring the sacred covenant between citizen and state. For the government, in its purest form, is not a distant power—it is the organized will of the people, the extended arm of the common soul. It is how a free people care for their own.

Consider her own story, forged in sacrifice. Tammy Duckworth, who gave her body to the fires of war in service to her nation, rose again not by pride alone, but by the help of her community, her country, and her faith. When she speaks of gratitude, it is not the gratitude of dependence, but of partnership. For she has both given and received, fought and been healed, led and been lifted. Such is the circle of true citizenship: to give when strong, and to receive when in need. The heart of her message is that no one stands tall without first being carried.

Let us remember, too, that the great victories of humanity were never wrought by solitary hands. The New Deal, born in the ashes of the Great Depression, restored dignity to millions not through luck but through shared labor and compassion. The G.I. Bill, forged after the Second World War, gave soldiers education and purpose, lifting an entire generation into prosperity. These were not acts of indulgence—they were acts of faith in the common people. They declared that the nation’s strength is not measured by how high the few may rise, but by how far the many may climb together.

Yet, in our age, many have forgotten this truth. They speak of self-reliance as if it were a sword to sever the bonds that unite us. But self-reliance and solidarity are not enemies; they are brothers. The one gives purpose, the other gives strength. To reject the aid that enables the people to thrive is not virtue—it is folly. To receive support with gratitude, and to use it to better oneself and serve others, that is the path of honor. The responsible man is not the one who refuses help, but the one who transforms it into action, into contribution, into legacy.

So let this be the lesson for those who listen with open hearts: Never be ashamed to accept help when it leads to growth, nor be slow to offer it when others stumble. The chain of society is forged link by link—each generation binding itself to the next in duty and compassion. Be proud of your labor, but humble in your success. Remember that the blessings you enjoy were built by the sweat of others, and the world you leave behind will be shaped by the care you give.

Therefore, live as a citizen, not as an island. Work diligently, give freely, receive humbly, and know that your story—like that of Tammy Duckworth—is part of something larger, something sacred. For a nation is not merely a place; it is a promise: that the responsible and hard-working shall not toil in vain, that the benefits of government shall not be the shame of the needy, but the strength of the whole. And when you act in this spirit, you become not only a beneficiary of your nation, but a builder of its eternal heart.