Month: August 2017

Teddy Roosevelt.

I begin with Theodore Roosevelt, because that is where our recent vacation began—Oyster Bay.  After touring Raynham Hall, we visited the grave of our 26th President of the United States.  The following day, we went to Sagamore Hill.

There is little not to like about T.R.  He is a man’s man, so to speak.  He spoke and wrote of the importance of a sound mind and body.  He was a father and husband above all else.  While I tend to wonder how his political views would translate into the demands of 2017 (it fascinates me that the challenges facing the US in the early 1900s still exist in the early 2000s) and think we can use a man like T.R. today, I want to focus on the man and his character.

I often quote Teddy Roosevelt.  He was a man of great wisdom.  He was also a man who respected the opinions of others and, moreover, respected the classes of society.  He believed that we best solve society’s challenges by getting to know one another and understanding one another’s circumstances.

T.R. was wealthy.  He came from what might be labeled “white privilege”, today.  Nonetheless, he put his wealth and influence to work to help his fellow man.  He sought to better the lives of his countryman.  He sought better wages for the working class, but he also expected one to work (if he were able) to earn his living.  As well, he expected that those who could not work would be provided for.  His “privilege” came with responsibility.

Despite being a sickly child, T.R. took personal responsibility for his health.  He exercised regularly and conditioned his body to overcome his physical infirmities.  He advocated to healthy living.

T.R. was an avid reader.  I was impressed by the books in nearly every room.  He believed in developing the mind and body.

The Roosevelt children went to public school.  Roosevelt believed that we can best help our neighbors when we know them and associate with them.  It no surprise to me the level to which the community of Oyster Bay esteems the Roosevelts.  Education is important for the advancement of the individual, but it is essential for the advancement of society.  Thus, I write often in favor of education reform and have faith in public education.

Roosevelt was the first POTUS to live away from the White House during his term in office.  Sagamore Hill was always his home—and a home it was.  Again, family was a priority, as it should be.  It was interesting the level to which his children were afforded the opportunity to participate in the discussions at the dinner table.  Indeed, they were expected to participate—even when visiting dignitaries were present.  How many of us, today, can say the same for our households?  As well, how many of us stress the importance of the family meal at the dining table.  Sadly, (and I can fall victim to this) we too often eat dinner in front of the television.  Many do not even eat as a family.  The Roosevelt children knew that, if they did not make it to the dining room for dinner time, they might be relegated to the second seating (the Roosevelts frequently had multiple seatings for dinner because of the volume of visitors to the home, and the children wanted to eat with their preferred guests) or in the kitchen.  I found myself imaging what these dinners must have been like.  I also considered the degree to which I afford my children such opportunities.  Of course, I may never have the level of guest in my home, but it is, nonetheless, important that we entertain a variety of people in our home and encourage the children to participate.

Also, noteworthy at Sagamore Hill were the animal specimens.  Today, we might be offended by animal trophies, but in T.R.’s day, these were less for personal show and more for educational purposes.  Theodore Roosevelt collected thousands of specimens for the Smithsonian Institute, the National Museum, and the American Museum of Natural History.  Interestingly, Andrew Carnegie helped fund some of these expeditions.  I could not help but wonder if any of the specimens on display at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History were the product of T.R.’s hunts.  These remain today as specimens for all to see and to study.  Thus, he gave access to many who might never otherwise have opportunity to see.  And it must be remembered that Roosevelt was a great advocate for conservation of natural resources and extending federal protection to land and wildlife.  In my opinion, he is the epitome of stewardship of God’s creation.  I would trust that, if alive today, his methods would be a bit different.

Theodore Roosevelt is well known for his “speak softly and carry a big stick” philosophy.  He was not a man of war, despite his fame for his military successes.  He understood, however, the importance of strength, both individually and nationally.  Civility is to be backed with strength.  We cannot speak of justice without being willing to fight against injustice.   Fighting is, of course, as last resort.  We must, however, stand for ourselves and, moreover, for others.  I hope I have lived as such.  I strive to instill this in my own children.

I will never likely have the power and opportunity Theodore Roosevelt had to affect the world, but I hope that I can have such an affect where I can.  I hope that I live in such an (extra)ordinary fashion.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.”–Theodore Roosevelt

Image: http://cdn.history.com/sites/2/2015/07/GettyImages-3246323-E.jpeg

“A very large share of the rancor of political and social strife arises either from sheer misunderstanding by one section, or by one class, of another, or else from the fact that the two sections, or two classes, are so cut off from each other that neither appreciates the other’s passions, prejudices, and, indeed, point of view, while they are both entirely ignorant of their community of feeling as regards the essentials of manhood and humanity.”–Theodore Roosevelt

One thing that my recent vacation reminded me is of our responsibility as stewards of what we are given.  I would encourage any who might believe that the disparity of wealth is evil to reconsider. Without financial wealth, we would not have the schools, museums, and cultural centers we have. The problem lies not in the wealth. The problem lies in the hearts of those who hold it. The problem does not lie in privilege. Theodore Roosevelt, of course, came from privilege, but he was also taught responsibility. Andrew Carnegie came from nothing, but he was taught the value of hard work and education. Both of these men taught that we all play a role in the success of our society. Neither believed in handouts, but they believed in and offered a hand up.

Arguments about entitlement and privilege abound.  There is an old adage that suggests when you give a man a fish you feed him for a day; if you teach a man to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime.  It is my humble opinion that the likes of Carnegie and Roosevelt did all that they could to teach us to fish. In proposing his “Square Deal”

, Roosevelt stood having the rules changed “so as to work for a more substantial equality of opportunity and of reward for equally good service”.  Two key objectives are presented here: opportunity and effort.  He expected a fair wage for workers, but he also expected that those who are able would work for their wage.  Likewise, Carnegie believed in work.  Both men, I believe, sought to create opportunity.  We seem to have forgotten the example of these and other great men and women of their time.  We seem to want, as Dire Straits sang, our “money for nothing.”  We ought to want to work and earn our way, and those with the means should want to help.

To give to charity, today, is often to offer the fish.  Few seem to want to put their success to helping others succeed.

I heard on the news this week of a state having to cut library funding because of revenue shortages.  This should not be the role of the government, per se.  Men like Carnegie and Roosevelt sought to create the means for anyone who is willing to be educated.  Carnegie knew that without a wealthy class with a sense of stewardship, there would be no libraries and museums to speak of.  One need only look at the post-World War II Germanys to see this played out.  It is rather certain that wealth and responsibility are an essential to the growth and success of our Republic.  One without the other is likely to fail.  Wealth without responsibility has concern only for itself.  Responsibility without the means may be well-intended, but inevitably allows sacrifice give way to self-preservation.  At best, one of modest means can contribute only a small amount to the benefit of his neighbor.  Thus, we often face unfortunate cuts to public libraries and education.

Central to the values I learned from these men and countless others is civic responsibility.  Remember when John F. Kennedy encouraged us to “ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”?  I wonder sometimes the extent to which Civics is still taught in our schools.  I wonder the extent to which those of us who were taught these lessons in school still abide by them.  Sadly, we prefer to take what we can with little regard for others (I view this from the perspective of the Commons).  If, however, we are to be (extra)ordinary—to be persons of influence (and we can all influence our spheres)—we must be engaged in our communities, carry our own weight when we are able, and express what Theodore Roosevelt called “fellow feeling”.

“Surplus wealth is a sacred trust which its possessor is bound to administer in his lifetime for the good of the community.”—Andrew Carnegie

Image: https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/03/e8/91/8b/carnegie-museum-of-art.jpg

I just returned home from a two-week vacation to the east coast.  We traveled through six states and the District of Columbia in just over 14 days.  We started in my wife’s home town of Oyster Bay (Long Island), NY and visited NYC, Pittsburgh (my home town), Morgantown, WV (where I went to college), Hagarstown, MD, Baltimore, Annapolis, Washington, DC, and northern VA.  We visited Raynham Hall (the home or Revolutionary War spy, Robert Townsend, AKA “Culper, Jr.”), Teddy Roosevelt’s grave and Sagamore Hill home, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Fort Pitt Museum, Carnegie Museum (Pittsburgh), and Mount Vernon, among numerous other sites and eatery. We visited friends and family.  It was, for me, a time to reflect on the influences that have made me who I am.

I have a personal belief that three crucial writings should be a part of the high school curriculum.  These are: The Gospel of Wealth (Andrew Carnegie), The Strenuous Life (Theodore Roosevelt), and “The Tragedy of the Commons” (Garrett Hardin).  These have shaped my thinking over the years, and I revisit them often.  I list these, not because I think that everyone should think like me (or these writers).  I list these because they address problems the remain in our society and provide a platform for discussion.

My recent trip reminded me of how influential Theodore Roosevelt and Andrew Carnegie have been and the legacy that they have left for all of us.  I realized the significance of their impression upon me as I walked the grounds of Sagamore Hill and visited Carnegie Museum.  I was compelled, during the trip, to reread The Strenuous Life, which is a series of articles that Roosevelt wrote around the turn of the 20^th century.  It stuck me how relevant these remain for us today.

Over the next few days, I intend to reflect on the influence of these men and, possibly, others (and women—e.g., Eleanor Roosevelt) and their relevance for the issues that confront us today.  So, stay tuned….

Carpe momento!

“We are in honor bound to put into practice what we preach; to remember that we are not to be excused if we do not; and that in the last resort no material prosperity, no business acumen, no intellectual development of any kind, can atone in the life of a nation for the lack of the fundamental qualities of courage, honesty, and common sense.”–Theodore Roosevelt