When It Matters Most

“I have never felt that anything really mattered but the satisfaction of knowing that you stood for the things in which you believed and had done the very best you could”

 

These were the word spoken by Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the height of World War II (8 Nov. 1944).  Mrs. Roosevelt became a catalyst for change and played a pivotal role in civil and human rights.  As the longest serving First Lady, (3 terms) she made it a habit to improve the social conditions of all Americans, regardless of race, religion and socioeconomic status.   This was not done along political lines, but rather as matters of the heart and to what we call being decent and in order.  She stood to make America better, to live up to its creed and to ensure that all Americans get a fair chance. 

 

Over the past decade or two, it appears that much of what she stood for has been lost.  It has also been lost due to the fact that so many people today are only concerned about what is in it for them and not for “good” of the greater society.  At the heart of what is really being lost is that so much of what happens in Washington, DC affects all Americans.  In so many ways, nearly every aspect of our society depends on our national government to work and to work well.  This is especially true for the most vulnerable of our society, who depends and need access to medical care, education, food and shelter. 

 

The ongoing diversions and miscues of our elected officials in the federal government over the past five years has been something truly for the record books and you just wonder how in the world some of them were elected in the first place.  It is just astonishing to see and hear about all the political games, maneuvers and the disregard for fair treatment of those locked in poverty, the disable, returning Veterans, seniors, children and the working poor.  The essence of America and our way of life continues to not be forged through one’s political afflation, wealth and influence, but rather through the blood and sweat of the average American who is invested in the pursue of  living a better life for themselves and their family.   So,... it time to get back to work!