The following information about former President Harry Truman (pictured left with his wife Bess) was sent to me by one of my church members. My friend is always sending me interesting anecdotes from history, and this is one I found quite fascinating. Though I don't agree with all the politics Mr. Truman cherished, I sure do wish a new President of the United States would arise with some of the same personal principles regarding government compensation held by Mr. Truman. Read on... "Harry Truman was a different kind of President. He probably made as more important decisions regarding our nation's history as any of the other 42 Presidents preceding him. However, a measure of his greatness may rest on what he did after he left the White House.The only asset he had when he died was the house he lived in, which was in Independence Missouri. His wife had inherited the house from her mother and father. Other than their years in the White House, the Trumans lived their entire lives in that house in Independence. When Mr. Truman retired from office in 1952, his sole income was a United States Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and, later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year.
After President Eisenhower was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home to Missouri by themselves. There were no Secret Service agents following them.When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating, "You don't want me. You want the office of the President, and that doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it's not for sale." Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing, 'I don't consider that I have done anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise.' As president he paid for all of his own travel expenses and food.
Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the Presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale (cf. Illinois). Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, 'My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!'
I say dig him up and clone him!"
18 comments:
Wade, that generation is dying, and we will not see their like again, I'm afraid.
My father, of blessed memory, was extremely conscientious about doing the right thing . . . about doing what was ethical and moral.
Now we have a 'new' standard . . . profit-oriented, and 'you're on your own'. And you should see what is being taught to grade school children in 'economics' classes.
The kind of integrity of a President Truman still exists, but people don't understand it, and that is what is tragic. The influence of the Koch brothers is 'in' with certain politicians and Supreme Court members,
and we may be at their mercy for our future and the future of our children, unless we get a grip on what is REALLY important besides making a profit at all costs.
I am afraid the problem is us (as in all of us).
10 reasons the U.S. is no longer the land of the free.
The place of politics and the role of politicians is about as far removed from the dreams of the Founding Fathers as I have seen in my lifetime.
Most are in it for themselves and re-election. They pretend to represent their constituents, but really only want to get re-elected.
I have had correspondence with both Senators Burr (R) and Hagan (D) of NC and hardly got an acknowledgement of my input. They don't really care about what constituents have to say. Their websites promote their latest superficial efforts to address our failed economy. It has gone on 4 long years and there is NO end in sight.
Truman was a man of the people and down-to-earth. His "The Buck Stops Here" sign on his desk pretty well expressed his view of responsitility and the fact he was just a man elected to an office far from that of the Kings of Europe or Dictators of the world.
Until we return to these kinds of values, we are in trouble and will not get out of it easily.
Jimmy Carter was criticized for getting out of the lemosine and walking the Inaugural route. He was so bold as to install solar heating units on the White House as an example of the need to control our dependence on oil. Why was he criticized for such humble actions?
He defied the "powers that be" in Washington and they were committed to destroying his influence and power. It's time to end this corruption and arrogance of Congress.
Give them a manditory walk after 3 terms max. The President gets only 2 and they should join him in a return to the role of common man from which they came and need to quickly return.
NEVER did our Founding Fathers envision a paid bunch of potentates occupying their offices forever. Neither did they think any representative was more than an average citizen doing public SERVICE for his friends back home.
Wade,
Strange? Just today, I was explaining to someone how Truman turned down big companies that offered him jobs by him saying they didn’t want him; they wanted the office of the President’.
It’s past time for the American people to take back their government.
Too long the ‘tail’ has been wagging the dog.
I love the clone part. :)
Thy Peace,
You’re good at checking things out. What about this:
ttp://www.terrylakinactionfund.com/terryisfree.html
Is American the land of the free if a prisoner being released can be put back in prison if ANONE except on an accepted list shows up at the scene of his release?
Lieutenant Colonel Terrence ("Terry") Lakin most recently served as Chief of Primary Care and Flight Surgeon for the Pentagon's DiLorenzo TRICARE Health Clinic. He was also the lead Flight Surgeon charged with caring for Army Chief of Staff General Casey's pilots and air crew. LTC Lakin, selected for promotion to Colonel, is a native of Colorado, whose residency is Tennessee.
Lakin was the man being released from prison.
Below was written on the Baptist Standard Blog January 11, 2012 and no comment has been made since then.
I think it would be ‘poetic justice’ if Obama’s opponent in the next presidential election was former Lieutenant Colonel Terry Lakin.
I say “former” because his court martial by Obama’s military ‘circus court’ put him in prison 6 months because Lakin acted his belief that Obama was NOT a natural born citizen.
I believe Obama feared the public would make Lakin a hero because upon his release on May 13, 2011, any ‘reception’ would put Lakin back in prison.
The van that Lakin was in drove past the three people waiting for him, and returned 20 minutes later. The driver checked Ids. of the three before unlocking the van.
Also written on January 10, 2012 of the Baptist Standard Blog “Wiley Drake's 'Birther' lawsuit has...”
Raf Fak,
You said “lunacy of the religious right”.
How about the lunacy of Obama’s Long Form Certificate of Live Birth on April 27, 2011 as a digital image made by latest technologies instead of a 1961 typewriter?
One expert, with more than 30 years of experience with Adobe called the image a “literal joke.”
The point above was the last of 51 facts stating why Obama was not legal to be President.
http://catchkevin.com/51-facts/
Gene S. Many thanks for your input.
Florence in KY
Rex, I was born in 1963, and the long form birth certificate I recently ordered (in order to renew my driver's license) was a modern, computerized copy too. Does this mean mine was a fake? I happen to know that I really was born in the US in 1963. My parents, were they still living, would tell you the same.
All this questioning of something that has been established as fact, but will not be laid to rest by people who cannot accept a man of another color as their legitimate leader, really angers me. I think it's outrageous that he had to produce his long-form certificate in the first place. There were plenty of people running against him who didn't want him elected. If there really were an issue about his citizenship, do you really think he wouldn't have been disqualified back then?
Go ahead. Jump all over me if you must. But if the man were white, would this even be an issue?
If you don't like his policies, argue against his policies. But these conspiracy theories and personal attacks really are beyond the pale.
Although I disagree with several of Truman's policies, I still think he's one of the greatest president in U.S. History.
First, his decision to integrate the military was one of the bravest things a president ever did, especially when you consider that Truman was a southerner.
Second, his decision to end the war the way he did probably saved a million lives both American and Japanese.
Third, his recognition of Israel 11 minutes after the nation was reborn was monumental.
Fourth, his chossing of three conservative Supreme Court justices was wonderful.
Truman was the kind of Democrat that I could actually consider voting for, is there any like him left?
Kristen,
“…people who cannot accept a man of another color...” WOW!—the race card!
Why/how do you jump to the conclusion that I’m against Blacks?
I’ve written articles defending Clarence Thomas when Anita Hill claimed sexual harassment; and he wasn’t even half White.
When I was a sophomore in high school, I had a crush on a Black girl in Giessen, Germany. She moved away, and the next year was the last time I saw her. She was waving from the stands after I won a mile race in Munich in 1949. I can’t remember a person’s name five minutes after I meet them, so why do I remember her name, Mary Ann Decab? Because I was bashful, she never knew I liked her.
As far as your birth certificate, it is a copy of the original. But if your ‘original’ qualified you to enter a country were Americans were not allow, but it disqualified you for a job, you might stall a long time until a different one could be ‘developed’.
The latest news I’ve heard of the many lawsuits on Obama’s eligibility to be President had a setback on December 22, 2011 when the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wiley Drake’s ‘Birther’ lawsuit lacked legal standing to file their complaint because Congress – not federal courts – has authority to remove a sitting president, and they should have filed their lawsuit before Obama became president.
Duh??
For more information see:
http://www.baptiststandard.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13356&Itemid=53
Kristen, if someone brought a lawsuit against you over your birth certificate, wouldn’t you say ‘bring it on’ and I’m going counter sue for etc.?
I might countersue if I were not President. People in public office stand in a different relation to the slander/libel laws than private citizens. Public officials can't sue for these things, because slander against a public official is protected by free speech laws. In short, Obama may be prohibited by law from countersuing.
I really don't care whether you have friends who are black, whether you defended Clarence Thomas, or any of those things. "I have friends who are black" is a common argument. It doesn't negate other behaviors towards people who are not your friends.
Also, I never said it was because Obama is black. As far as I can tell, it has something to do with his having a Arabic-sounding name. Racism against Arab Americans is winked at in our nation much more than racism against African Americans.
Calling it "the race card" is an ad hominem attack. If you can give something a negative label, you don't actually have to address the truth or falsehood of the point being made.
If you want to post links, I can do that too. Factcheck.org is a respected, non-partisan website that researches the truth or falsehood of stories like the "fake birth certificate." Here's the link to their response to this:
http://factcheck.org/2008/08/born-in-the-usa/
Here's a quote:
"FactCheck.org staffers have now seen, touched, examined and photographed the original birth certificate. We conclude that it meets all of the requirements from the State Department for proving U.S. citizenship. Claims that the document lacks a raised seal or a signature are false. We have posted high-resolution photographs of the document as "supporting documents" to this article. Our conclusion: Obama was born in the U.S.A. just as he has always said."
PS. Here's an actual picture of the long-form birth certificate-- not a modern computerized version, but a photocopy of the actual document on record. As you can see, it is a normal form typed on a normal typewriter such as were used in 1961.
http://factcheck.org/UploadedFiles/2011/04/birthcertificatelongform.pdf
John Wylie,
I agree Truman accomplished many great things.
“Is there any like him left?”
I take it that you don’t think Obama is a Truman?
Probably Obama’s Czars have cost America ten times more than Truman ever received.
John, would you think the number of Czars a president needs would be in proportion to his lack of knowledge?
Rex,
I think that the number of Czars a President needs could be reflective of his lack of knowledge or it could be a little cronyism. No I do not think that President Obama is a Truman. Truman was a conservative but Obama is probably the most liberal President in history of the U.S. Truman was a man of the people who put our nation first, Obama is a Harvard educated elite. I could go on but I won't. Thanks for the questions Rex.
Btw, I think all candidates for President should have to produce a certified birth certificate. And no it has nothing to do with racism.
Kristen,
You said, “Factcheck.org is a respected, non-partisan website…”
My link was news from the Court, but has your link been proven to be the truth?
If it’s true, why doesn’t Obama take Factcheck.org and win in a court of law?
You didn’t reply to this fact: What birth certificate did Obama use to enter a country that denied American citizens?
Rex, your link was to the Baptist Standard reporting on a court case. As far as I could tell, the article was reasonably objective and unbiased, but it said nothing to support the contention that there is anything wrong with Obama's birth certificate.
I am unfamiliar with your allegation that Obama was able to enter a country that did not allow US citizens. When did this occur? What was the country? Was Obama the US President or a Senator at the time? If he was not, then under what circumstances was this reported as news?
Factcheck.org is a legitimate, respected, non-partisan fact checking organization. They would have no reason to claim their investigators had handled and inspected the actual original birth certificate and found it confirmed citizenship, if it wree not true. Why do you disbelieve them, except that they're not telling you what you want to hear?
Snopes.com, the group that investigates urban legends, also declares the "forged birth certificate" story to be false:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthcertificate.asp
The Snopes article systematically addresses and debunks every claim that Obama's Hawaiian certificate is forged. Snopes, again, is a respected group that investigates stories and determines whether they are fraudulent.
Here is a report from Politifact, another fact-checking organization:
"PolitiFact, the St. Petersburg Times’ fact-checking website, has examined the issue of Obama’s citizenship from many angles in the past three years, viewing the Certification of Live Birth, talking to Health Department officials in Hawaii, examining newspaper birth announcements, even investigating a purported Kenyan birth certificate (a hoax). All evidence pointed to one conclusion: Obama was born in Honolulu."
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2011/apr/27/birthers-obama-certificate-live-birth/
It is sad that this debate is still going on. Obama is proven beyond any reasonable doubt to be a US citizen. I have no desire to continue to argue with you about it. If you don't want to listen to fact or reason, there's nothing I can do.
We can still have that American dream if we choose God-fearing public servants. We need elected public servants who understand their role as President Truman understood his role as President of this country.
The recent State of the Union Address set off alarms for me when the President said he wanted to consolidate the government. I received information and a link about the speech. I have copied my response to the information shared with me below:
Please review the link below. Start the video at minute 50 and listen carefully.
Consolidating and streamlining the executive branch puts the legislature (Congress) and the judicial (courts) branches under the executive branch (president). This consolidation eliminates the checks and balance system that ensures one branch does not overpower the other branches. This request violates the United States Constitution. Everyone needs to write all the representatives of this country to stop this from happening.
Some say I am not understanding President's Obama's intent because this is America and such a thing surely cannot happen. He just asked permission from Congress to do exactly that. Anyone ready for a Communist United States of America? Contact all Congress people through phone calls, hand-written letters, and e-mails. Our freedoms are on the line! This is still the land of the free and we, together, can make this a proud country again by contacting our elected officials. There is no time for delays!
SOTU (State of the Union): Obama wants government power consolidated under Executive Branch
http://www.glennbeck.com/2012/01/25/sotu...
Glenn was more than a little disturbed by comments made by Barack Obama at the State of the Union address and wonders why Obama's call to consolidate bureaucracy (aka POWER) under the Executive Office isn't getting noticed by reporters and politicians.
I'm afraid the Republican Party is about to leave a final legacy: The richest wins. Funny, they use the term: class warfare, as if the middle or lower classes had a chance! First it comes out that Jay Garrity, Romney's goon had a penchant for police impersonation. Now we know that he got it from Rom-no-cop himself. Had any of us taken a trooper's uniform across state lines and then added a light and a siren...and left 2 girls scared in a car alone on a dirt road; we'd be considered criminal. That is criminal, but we are supposed to laugh at Mitt's "little" pranks. Why isn't the FBI knocking on his door asking for a DNA sample if this is a fair coountry...if all men are created equal like Lincoln said? Puts us to mind of another handsome member of The Young Republicans who played a prank on the girls. ..Faked a broken arm. Ted Bundy. I just find it harder to believe he is a real goody two shoes after I find out he's blue light banditing!
Post a Comment