It will appear evident upon attentive consideration that equality of intellectual and physical advantages is the only sure foundation of liberty and that such equality may best and perhaps only be obtained by a union of interests and cooperation in labor.

We will have bigger bureaucracies bigger labor unions and bigger state-run corporations. It will be harder to be an entrepreneur because of punitive taxes and regulations. The rewards of success will be expropriated for the sake of attaining greater income equality.

The unionists also for their part want to minimise the potential for change not only on the equality agenda but on the issues of sovereignty and ending the union.

Republican patience with how unionism deals with the political institutions and with key issues like equality and human rights will be tested because obviously there will be a battle a day on these matters. So lets face up to all of this with our eyes wide open.

The perfection of our union especially our commitment to equality of opportunity has been a story of constant striving to live up to our Founding principles. This is what Abraham Lincoln meant when he said 'In giving freedom to the slave we assure freedom to the free - honorable alike in what we give and what we preserve.'

And what is liberty whose very name makes the heart beat faster and shakes the world? Is it not the union of all liberties - liberty of conscience of education of association of the press of travel or labor or trade?

I think that much of this was running in background as I contemplated whether or not to attend the PS 99 reunion although I certainly anticipated that I would not it smelled like death not youth.

Every parting is a form of death as every reunion is a type of heaven.

Every parting gives a foretaste of death every reunion a hint of the resurrection.

My dad grew up in a working-class Jewish neighbourhood and I got a scholarship from my dad's union to go to college. I went there to get an education not as an extension of privilege.