In the fifteen years I spent in Washington working at NALU (now NAIFA), one of the events I always enjoyed was the Fourth of July celebration on the Capitol grounds. The music by the Washington Symphony and military choirs was inspiring, and the fireworks awesome. It was at such times that I often recalled the writings of an anonymous priest.
"Remember…"
"It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press."
"It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech."
"It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the right to demonstrate."
"It is the soldier who salutes the flag, and whose coffin is draped with the flag, who allows the protestor to burn the flag."
As I pondered these words, I thought about how often there is confusion in society as to how things really come about. These thoughts led me to consider some important aspects of our own business and the role agents have played for more than 150 years.
Allow me to paraphrase the foregoing soldier's salute in the context of the life insurance agent as a soldier in the "war on poverty."
It is the agent, not the government, who pioneered the idea of employee-sponsored health insurance among small businesses, thereby bringing affordable healthcare to millions. It is the agent, more than friends, charities, and car washes, who brings financial security to grieving families at the loss of a breadwinner.
It is the agent, who more often than the lawyer or accountant, first broaches the subject of a "buy and sell" agreement to owners of a small business.
It is the agent, not the banker, who shows them how to fund the agreement.
It is the agent, not federal agencies, who has to communicate a message of hope to families and businesses that face loss in the event of an untimely death.
