For thousands of years people have struggled in their effort to determine what is true, what is truth. The ancient Romans more than two millennium ago had a Goddess Veritas. She was the Goddess of Truth and the daughter of the God Chronos – the God of Time. This seemed a natural progress. Over time truth will become apparent.
President Abraham Lincoln, who was a Republican though I think most Americans think of him as a great American President, said “I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts.”
Lincoln may have been the most visionary President we had. In addition to leading the Union in its win over the secessionist states he arranged for Land Grant Colleges, the cross-Continental Railroad and other futurist endeavors.
Think about it. A great portion of our nation’s population secedes and while you fight to re-unify the country you are thinking about the education of future generations and connecting the east and west coasts by rail.
Lincoln is a favorite of mine because he always seemed on the side of using the nation’s resources in a way compassionate (the Emancipation Proclamation, generosity to the defeated secessionists) and building (education and transportation infrastructure).
Another great American President, also a Republican, had a strong opinion about truth. President Theodore Roosevelt said in Kansas City in 1918 the following:
“The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefor it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right….it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about anyone else.”
While Roosevelt was much more wordy than Lincoln on just about any topic he nailed the need for the American people to seek the truth about their President and to hold him accountable for his honesty, good conduct or bad conduct. We are to praise the President when he does right and blame him for doing wrong.
This brings us to our current President. There are some truths that all Americans should recognize about him. They seem self-evident but sometimes it helps to restate them. If we can all agree on some of these points then perhaps we can have a conversation – however long or short – about America’s standing among its citizens and the world.
First, the current President was elected through the Electoral College and that is the system we use to select our President. Like all Presidents before him, including his predecessor, he won the Presidency fair and square. For those who like the Russian angle on this it still does not change the fact the President won.
Second, this President is neither a visionary like Lincoln nor an inspiring orator and leader like either Roosevelt. He seems more focused on a narrower vision on rolling back protections designed to protect various aspects of America. Some Americans like this vision while others do not. The large tax cut – which personally benefited me – while nice is hardly visionary.
Third, this President seems to have ignored Theodore Roosevelt’s maxim of “speak softly but carry a big stick”. This President’s maxim appears to be “speak bigly, boisterously but issue a short, mean tweet.”
When our President is a success all Americans should praise him. When he is fails we should all agree he has.
Our current system of sharing the truth through a variety of means often results in the truth being shaved in order to appeal to a niche of America. This is not unusual since the Federalist Papers and unsigned commentaries by our Founding Fathers also appealed to a niche of America. In short, this has been going on for thousands of years.
It would be a joy to read your responses and comments to this article. I encourage you to respond.
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Jon M. Ausman is the longest serving member of the Democratic National Committee in Florida’s history (December 1992 to January 2017). He can be reached at ausman@embarqmail.com or at 850-321-7799.
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Ok, here is another one for you, Mr. Ausman. President Trump took a lot of heat and criticism from the media and folks on the left for the ILLEGAL immigration, family separation issue at the border. Do you agree with that? Well, did you know this practice was going on during President Obama’s time in the office? Did you know that this started during Bill Clinton’s time in office? And yes, it did continue during both of the Bush presidencies. Why no mention of that from the liberals? Why no mention of that from the liberal media? It is so obvious and blatant which is why I do not trust mainstream media and I will NEVER vote Democrap.
Here’s your party Mr. Ausman:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=65&v=eFRHX6glTSM
Have fun with your election influencing articles.
Mr. Ausman: your version of Donald Trump is short-sighted and likely blinded by dislike. Delve deeper into his policies. He is indeed a visionary and a leader. One quick example: North Korea. Remember the Liberals whining about WW3 via North Korea a year ago? Now North Korea is sititng like a good little doggy, all due to Donald Trump and his multi-country strategy, including getting China involved. Try reading some information available outside your usual old-school Democrat sources, such as the Conservative Treehouse. Read his book, The Art of the Deal. He lays out his negotiating strategy quite clearly. Trump will go down in history as one of the best presidents ever. Get over his tweets. And get help for your Trump Derangement Syndrome.
“When our President is a success all Americans should praise him. When he is fails we should all agree he has.”
The obvious question is WHO decides the success or failure of the President?
Why Democrats such as Mr. Ausman and the main stream media, of course.
Try this one on Mr. Ausman: how would Democrats and the media (same) react if one of President Obama’s people had been run out of a restaurant by a Republican owner for no reason other than her politics?
I will never, ever, under any circumstances, vote for a Democrat.
Thanks for your article, Mr. Ausman! Unfortunately, with the media slanted so far to the left, you almost need a leader that can speak loudly and tweet what is really going on. I never thought I’d see the day when I trust the President of the United States (a politician) more than I do the media. I think if you see media become more civilized and more concerned about the truth than promoting the liberal agenda, you will see leaders who can speak softly. But until then, the media will continue to bash conservative and even middle of the road ideas and solutions.
Well the backhanded swipe about Lincoln being a Republican kind of soured the taste as I read. Then a Teddy praise….ah the original RINO. How about comparing Reagan to Trump?
There we have clearly differed styles of conservative expression? Oh yes, Reagan is the Lord Voldemort of Democrats….he who shall not be named.
Better yet, how about the writer discuss his own party and its faults any folly? Clearly he should be better qualified to comment on that then this. Let us hear your “federalist papers” and make a case for liberalism without violation of the Constitution, without calling ugly names and using facts. Now that will be worth reading.
Yes, Mr. Ausman starts off his article with the usual opening these self-superior intellectuals utilize to inform us unwashed mass folks of our ignorance, “We can all agree…”. No, we can’t all agree. Mr. Ausman. I’ll let you know when I need advice from a Democrat. Don’t hold your breath.
Wow John’s such a good looking privileged deciple of the evil George Soros. We should get together over a beer and discuss your support of the distruction of our country, killing babies in the womb, and other liberal leftist principals your kids and grand kids will hate you for and suffer greatly because of.