The Meaning Of Freedom




To The Editor:

The best working years of my life were spent at the NYSE during the tenure of Chairman John Phelan, Golden years for the Exchange due entirely to the leadership of John. When he retired for health reasons the exchange began to deteriorate.

Recently John died. I and many others miss him terribly. A hell of a man, a real man. I am the better for having knowing him well.

We are a capitalist country, the NYSE was the major part of the U.S. Capital Raising mechanism. On Dec. 20 the NYSE was sold to the ICE for 8.2 billion. Good for us? I don’t know but time will tell.

One of my major responsibilities at the NYSE was to work with the Japanese. The NYSE believed in the expansion of the International Markets. We taught them well, so well that in time we lost business to the various international markets. The Tokyo Stock exchange opened an office in New York City to study and learn how to do it. And that is the point of part of my story.

Hitoshi Yagi, educated at Ohio U. was sent to New York and with his wife and four young boys live in Fort Lee, N.J. They loved being here.

After four years my friend and his family were to return to Japan, to an eight by twelve flat. At our last exchange luncheon I said, “Hitoshi, I’m going to ask you a question, Don’t think, just answer what one word best describes the United States?” Instantly he said “Freedom.” He then said, “Mr. Heaney the American People don’t understand what that word means. In Japan the nail that sticks up gets hammered down.” In 1862 Abe Lincoln spoke to Union Officers in Sharpsburg, MD. “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”

I wonder are we headed down that road? If so can we recover or is it too late for us to do so? Are we already the flat broke nanny state? Have we lost the qualities that are the marks of a great people? Don’t think just answer.

The Political Regime in D.C has shown its’ true colors through the Shame of Benghazi. Everyone involved in this reason, from top to bottom, must be dragged into the public square. When we cut and run we embolden our many enemies. Have you heard the term Paper Tiger?

Americans owe a huge debt to Lindsay Graham, Senator from South Carolina, as he continues to fight for the truth about Benghazi. Yes, the ashes continue to burn. And here is a new name, Dr. Ben Carson, Head of Pediatric Neuro Surgery at Johns Hopkins. At my request Peter King has sent me a copy of Doctor Carsons’ speech given at the National Prayer Meeting. Obama listened from about six feet away. His demeanor was a repeat of the First Romney – Obama Presidential Debate. “Don’t you know I am the President?”

A cat may look at a king but a king may not look at a cat.

Now a few words about the Second Amendment. It exists to protect the people from Government. Absent that protection why would we ever trust an Obama Regime? Registration, Confiscation, Subjugation, an old story. when your guns are gone the bad guys will still have theirs. Social justice, you know.

There is a lot of very serious stuff going on in our Country. At the very least pay attention. These are hard times, a time to try mens’ souls and certainly time to move out of the mushroom sheds. Failure to do so will condemn you and your children to darkness and political manure forever.

Edward J. Heaney



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