Give Em Hell

You can accomplish anything in life, provided that you do not mind who gets the credit.

Harry Truman
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Hello Val
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Harry Truman (1884 - 1972) was the 33rd President of the United States. He took office upon the death of President Franklin Roosevelt who had just begun his 4th term.

He ran for reelection against the very popular Thomas Dewey, Governor of New York, and won a surprising victory. There is a famous photo of him holding up a newspaper with a banner headline announcing Dewey's win.

During his presidency both Germany and Japan surrendered, NATO was formed, the United Nations was established, the Marshall Plan to reconstruct Europe was put into practice and the State of Israel was recognized. His history also included the dropping of the atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki which ushered in the nuclear age.

He was an outspoken fellow who didn't dance around issues. One of his most famous quotes, referring to the practice of avoiding responsibility by passing the buck was

"The buck stops here."

Here's another famous one referring to the dangers of politics.

" If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."

About being President he said,

"All the president is, is a glorified public relations man who spends his time flattering, kissing and kicking people to get them to do what they are supposed to do anyway."

His supporters were always telling him to "Give 'em hell Harry." He said,

"I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell."

He didn't care much for politics at all.

"I remember when I first came to Washington. For the first six months you wonder how the hell you ever got here. For the next six months you wonder how the hell the rest of them ever got here."

"My choice early in life was either to be a piano-player in a whorehouse or a politician. And to tell the truth, there’s hardly any difference."

"When even one American-who has done nothing wrong-is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth-then all Americans are in peril."

Harry Truman was a Democrat and he didn't care much for Republicans.

"The Republicans believe in the minimum wage — the more the minimum, the better."

"Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a Republican. But I repeat myself."

I say, give 'em hell Harry.

DB - Vagabond Journeys
Never Give Up
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I Hear You

Freedom of speech carries with it some freedom to listen.

Bob Marley
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To listen is one of those freedoms few people ever seem to take advantage of. It's easy to get people to stop listening. If I tell you everything you want to hear you won't listen to anything else I have to say. That's the secret behind political rhetoric.

As an actor one of the best lessons I learned was the importance of listening. Even if you've heard the other character's speech a hundred times you have to listen to it carefully and let it sink into your thoughts or you won't be abler to respond accurately and artistically.

I used to teach a seminar in public speaking and one of the things I told my class was that when you are addressing a room full of people on a controversial issue there are three types of listeners: those who agree with you, those who don't and those who aren't sure. Those who agree with you will continue to agree. You want to convince those who aren't sure and make them believers. The best you can probably hope to accomplish with those who disagree is to make them unsure. But in any case they are there to listen to you.

If you are talking only to people who agree with you then there isn't much need for rhetoric of any kind and any argument is pointless. Such was the case with the recent rally in DC to honor our troops as if they weren't being honored. Who doesn't honor our troops even if one disagrees with the wars? Where was the argument? What was the issue?

When there are opposing points of view they have the right to be heard and considered. But at some of the various town meetings across the country in regard to the health care program people came not to discuss or to listen to their elected representatives or to learn the facts, they didn't come in with polemics or opposing arguments or to reason but to yell, insult and disrupt, all under the banner of freedom of speech. The freedom to listen was not exercised.

There is no doubt that the freedom of speech, as with freedom of the press and other rights, are misused. But the freedom to listen isn't.

DB - The Vagabond
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AUTUMN QUESTION

(This is not a contest.)

At what event of the past do you wish you could be present? Why?

1 response so far.

dbdacoba@aol.com

Thank you.
DB
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