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To the editor:
In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." In Lincoln’s Gettysburg address, he called for a “new birth of freedom” and a “government of the people, by the people, for the people” established “four score and seven years ago” in 1776.
Jefferson and Lincoln were describing the ideals of our nation. The distance between ideals and practices of a country is one way to judge it. E. Y. Harburg wrote, “Songs are the pulse of a nation’s heart…listen to our songs.”
“From California to the New York island…this land was made for you and me” (Woody Guthrie); “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” (Berlin and Lazarus); “She’s only as rich as the poorest of the poor. Only as free as the padlocked prison door” (Phil Ochs); “Shining star and inspiration, worthy of a mighty nation. Of thee I sing!” (the Gershwins); “You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear…It’s got to be drummed in your dear little ear. You’ve got to be carefully taught” (Rodgers and Hammerstein); “There’s a place for us, somewhere a place for us. Peace and quiet and open air. Wait for us somewhere” (Bernstein and Sondheim); and “What is America to me? A name? A map? The flag I see? A certain word: democracy?” (Robinson and Meeropol).
It’s self-evident that the gap between the ideals and practices of America has significantly widened under the imperial and authoritarian presidency of Donald Trump. Aristotle described politics as the master art, the highest pursuit of mankind. By contrast, the political misrule of Trump with his sycophants and cronies, many in the billionaire class, has led us down into Dante’s Inferno.
Howard Elterman
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Valete
In your brief essay, I believe you argue that the ideals of equality and freedom, as articulated by Jefferson and Lincoln, are juxtaposed with the perceived widening gap between these ideals and American practices during the Trump presidency. You suggest that President Trump’s leadership has deviated from these ideals, resulting in adverse consequences. I disagree with your assessment. In my view, President Trump has not only adhered to the law of the land but has also effectively managed power as a practical science, striving to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number. In my view, President Trump and the Trump administration have followed Aristotelian ideology, leading the nation toward Mount Purgatory, Dante’s representation of “earthly paradise.”
Wednesday, July 15 Report this