How much better it is to know that, while by
natural process you haven't been created equal-you still
can, by persistence and determination alone attain a meas-
ure of value, and "Press on!" to become not merely equal,
but superior!
Little good and much harm have come from
unfounded illusions of equality-but almost everything
good has come from persistence and determination.
Equality does not come by natural process, nor
can equality result from environment, nor can equality be
bestowed by some benevolent government. Equality must
be earned by persistent and determined effort-by "pressing
on" to individual achievement.
And nobody need stop when he or she merely
has earned equality-because simply by continuing the
same persistence and determination, simply by "pressing
on", superiority can be attained.
Here in the United States, in this land of free-
dom to achieve to the full extent of one's ability, persistence
and determination-neither equality nor superiority is lim-
ited by race, color or creed. Examples are everywhere!
So let no one say that it cannot be done. Because it has
been done! And it is being done every day!
It is greatly to be regretted that so many people
have been misled into devoting their energies to demanding
equality as a right-when those same energies could have
earned equality or superiority as an achievement.
The way to attain that achievement is the way
President Calvin Collidge said "has solved and always will
solve the problems of the human race." And note that he