Learning from the Past
This fascinating read brought back so many of the memories from the decade where, as a nation, we suffered a strong division between those who wanted a war overseas and those who protested loudly against it. It is the familiar story of a nation divided by partisan politics drawn in heavy black lines between the way it had always been and the wave of the future; a look at a country divided between the issues of civil rights and the “senseless busing of little school children”1.
I was part of that era, part of the wave of change that swept our nation into despair when the President was accused of wrong doing, and worse, that it proved to be true. So much of that time comes back as I read these pages about a Senator from South Dakota who set his goals for the Presidency and after a triumphant effort, lost in a landslide election, to put “Tricky Dick” in charge of our futures.
Mr. Armstrong ’s book cautions us to learn from these past choices and to make sure we remember the valuable lessons that came from those sacrifices and loss of our young men serving their country on foreign soil.
From this slender volume, written by James Armstrong, I learned much about the deep rooted character of the man whose values stand strong among his best qualities. Having met this man, his wife and her twin sister, and seen their actions in casual and professional endeavors, I have gained a tremendous respect for the America which might have been, “If Only.”
This well-written tribute to the 1972 Presidential Democratic nominee, Senator George McGovern, serves as a boilerplate to guide our choices in future elections. It emphasizes the importance of choosing wisely, when it comes to our leaders; the importance of selecting a candidate whose values are based on doing the right thing in all circumstances, whether it results in personal gain or loss. It details the values with which this senator, professor, religious leader and politician guided his journey while here on this earth.
George Stanley McGovern was a man of integrity, albeit, one who brought controversy in a nation thrown into the depths of fighting an unpopular war. The author writes, “Senator McGovern first came to national attention as a strident, vocal opponent of the Vietnam War”.
The book compares our present situation in Iraq with the choices made in the days of Mr. McGovern ’s bid for the White House, when the war in Vietnam was being termed a “Police Action”. Life Magazine ’s contributor, Larry Burrows, wrote in the January edition of the same year, “By early 1963, the number of American military personnel in Vietnam had grown from several hundred to more than 10,000 in a few short years”…” America ’s growing role in Vietnam was not even close to the all-encompassing, divisive issue it would become by the middle of the decade”.
A Proponent of Peace
George McGovern was named a “spineless peacenik, an unrealistic dreamer, unpatriotic and un-American.” It was spoken by his senatorial opponent in the elections of 1980, that George McGovern was a communist sympathizer and a weak candidate. In reality, he was a war hero, who piloted a B-24 Liberator Bomber on thirty-five missions over enemy territory, the maximum allowable missions overseas. His bravery and fortitude of service was recognized with an award of the Distinguished Flying Cross at the age of twenty-two having piloted his bullet-ridden aircraft to safety after a completed mission over Germany.
Mr. McGovern ’s nomination at the Democratic National Convention was no accident; it was a direct result of the tireless and ongoing work together with his wife, Eleanor, to whom he referred as his “most devoted campaigner”.
From Obscurity to the Senate Floor
The book details the fortitude which took the meager son of a farmer from the dirt fields of S. Dakota to within a view of gaining the Oval Office. It sets out his lifetime of service in his role as a Senator, of his efforts at the Paris Peace talks, his fight against world hunger, of his deep rooted beliefs and his viable call to public service. His alliance with those who believe that the United States should not be solely responsible for policing the world made him vulnerable to those who wish to guide others before taking control of our own faults as a nation.
Whether you agree with the political views of the former Senator or not, his actions over a lifetime are those which demonstrate integrity, determination and deep rooted character built on a strong faith and passion for the common man.
Why Study About McGovern Now?
I am grateful for the opportunity to review this early edition of If Only, by James Armstrong, former United Methodist Bishop of North and South Dakota who was “the McGovern’s bishop”. His lifetime association with the former Senator from South Dakota gives the author keen insight to the actual character of one of our most outspoken political leaders.
This is an insightful volume of lessons to be learned, which if we are students of history, we will review to “bring essential parts of (McGovern’s) reality back to life”, a guiding light in view of the nation’s opinion of our current political leadership.
Characteristics of a Patriot
After his passing in 2012, world leaders who spoke at the prayer service exemplified his life with a memorable tribute of words which characterized him – “Our nation has lost …an unwavering clarion voice for peace, justice, compassion and decency… The world community has lost a champion and friend of the poor and hungry.”
Throughout his life, Mr. McGovern demonstrated the qualities of “humility, grace, dedication, hard work, uncanny vision”; values we would have imbued in those who serve our country.
Mr. Armstrong pleads with the reader to consider the character of any candidate who seeks to serve and represent “We the People” as important and essential if we are to carry forward in a positive direction. The slender volume, compromised of less than 100 pages is a quick read, and a fascinating study of a true patriot. Within these few pages, the author gives the reader a small taste of things and events which are sure to inspire further study.
Quotes
1 From The Harvard Crimson, 1974
, If Only – George McGovern and the America That Might Have Been, A Book Review www.ozeldersin.com bitirme tezi,ödev,proje dönem ödevi