I Can Do Those Things Too!
by State Rep. Trish Ladner
I spent this past weekend working with the Main Street Arts and Crafts Festival in Hot Springs, SD. This Festival has been happening in Hot Springs for the past 44 years and thanks to its dedicated board of directors’ hard work and dedication, this event is showcased within the state as one of the premier events of the summer in South Dakota. This year, after a year hiatus due to the pandemic, over 57+ vendors converged on Centennial Park bringing with them their hand-crafted wares. The excitement and enthusiasm to be back together selling their treasures was palpable. There were vendors from eight states including South Dakota, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wyoming, North Dakota, and Ohio. This diverse group of entrepreneurs didn’t let the pandemic stop them. Instead of throwing in the towel and getting discouraged, they spent the last 18 months of isolation refining their designs and producing more inventory. These are true American tradesmen who are proud of their workmanship and were anxious to restart their businesses and their participation in the free enterprise process once again. Ronald Reagan said it best when he said, “Entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the economic growth in the United States. We that live in free market societies believe that growth, prosperity and ultimately human fulfillment, are created from the bottom up not the government down.” This weekend proved to be a testimony to just how true his statement was then and continues to be now!
Friday morning found Centennial Park buzzing with enthusiasm from the visitors who couldn’t wait until Friday afternoon for the festival to officially open and arrived early, ready to buy the treasures and custom hand-crafted items they discovered, booth by booth. Visitors to the festival included families from Texas, Iowa, North Carolina, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Oklahoma (just to name a few), all anxious to restart the adventures in their lives once again! The festival included something for everyone; A Native cultural presentation, fun activities for the children like building their own birdhouses. and food vendors who served up delicious food , while live music, provided by local musicians, filled the air. One little girl emerged from the crafts tent after building her birdhouse, looked at the vendor’s products as they walked by and said, “Mommy, I can make those things too. Can we buy some nails on the way home?” An entrepreneur is born!
So, why share this event with you? What does all this mean? Today, we are led to believe by “the powers that be”, that a corporate, socialistic society is not only the best option for us as a nation, but is the only option for us going forward. The government will supplement and provide your daily needs … don’t worry! You don’t need to make a way to succeed by the efforts of your hands, or take pride in what you do. All you need to do is behave, and obey the rules and you will receive your monthly stipend that is allotted to all who comply. No thank you!
What I experienced this weekend at this event gave me new vision and as a legislator, renewed by hope in America’s free enterprise system. It is refreshing to remember that we are more alike, than we are different. Most of us, as Americans, want to live free lives independent from the government and create a life that provides for our family’s needs, (and a little more if possible), keep our families safe, and thrive. This weekend gave me a hope for the future for America, and I wanted to share that hope with you.
Wishing you all an amazing 4th of July this weekend as we celebrate the end of monarchy and tyranny and the rebirth of liberty. Liberty that gives us the freedom to exercise our American qualities – even the freedom to stay at home and barbecue!