Leadership

Recently I read the Teddy Roosevelt biography “Lion in the White House”. I have always been a big fan of the progressive ideas T.R. had for the Republican Party and for the country as well. As I was reading about the life and times of T.R. and many of the battles he fought with the conservatives in his party as well as the big money folks from Wall Street. I was struck by the similarities of the situation we face with Wall Street today

Some things never change. Except that then we had a leader willing to take the unpopular but necessary steps to protect the economy of the country. Oh and did not require a buy out from the government.

Once I finished the T.R. bio I started in on a great book about John Quincy Adams. J.Q.A was a great man who put his duty to his country far above the interests of his party and himself.

I was discussing the current “bail out” issue with a close friend of mine. Tony had just finished watching the biographical series on John Adams, J.Q.A.’s father, and asked me why we do not have leaders like that anymore. Leaders like the founding fathers of this country who pledged their lives and their sacred honor to the cause they believed in. Leaders like John Adams and John Quincy Adams, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt who where willing to put the interests of the nation above the interests of their party or themselves.

It has been a long time since we had a President in office that truly took the reins and steered the country in the direction it needed to go rather than the one it wanted to go. I am not here to tout one candidate in this race over the other; I just want to see somebody with the convictions to do what needs to be done. Regardless of the special interests and party influence that seem to be the driving force in U.S. politics today.

I suppose that the first step to fixing the problems we now face is that we the people, you know the folks that this government is supposed to answer to; need to hold our elected officials accountable. We need to do that. We need to really know what is going on. We need to do the research and educate ourselves and make decisions about who we send to represent us. We must do this in a logical, educated and well thought out fashion. We must be responsible for our representatives. They work for us not the other way around. Call your elected officials and tell them what to do. It is your right and responsibility to do so.

So what are you waiting for?