Reply #32: Remember , we once had Franklin Delano Roosevelt a President who understood the meaning of charity

[bushmeister0]

In 1932 as governor of New York he wrote in a Thanksgiving message:

"Remember in pity such as are this day destitute, homeless or forgotten of their fellow men."

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE1D91730F935A15752C1A961948260

In 1936 at the Democratic National Convention for his renomination he said:

"The brave and clear platform adopted by this Convention, to which I heartily subscribe, sets forth that Government in a modern civilization has certain inescapable obligations to its citizens, among which are protection of the family and the home, the establishment of a democracy of opportunity, and aid to those overtaken by disaster.

But the resolute enemy within our gates is ever ready to beat down our words unless in greater courage we will fight for them.

For more than three years we have fought for them. This Convention, in every word and deed, has pledged that that fight will go on.

The defeats and victories of these years have given to us as a people a new understanding of our Government and of ourselves. Never since the early days of the New England town meeting have the affairs of Government been so widely discussed and so clearly appreciated. It has been brought home to us that the only effective guide for the safety of this most worldly of worlds, the greatest guide of all, is moral principle.

We do not see faith, hope and charity as unattainable ideals, but we use them as stout supports of a Nation fighting the fight for freedom in a modern civilization.

Faith— in the soundness of democracy in the midst of dictatorships.

Hope—renewed because we know so well the progress we have made.

Charity— in the true spirit of that grand old word. For charity literally translated from the original means love, the love that understands, that does not merely share the wealth of the giver, but in true sympathy and wisdom helps men to help themselves.

We seek not merely to make Government a mechanical implement, but to give it the vibrant personal character that is the very embodiment of human charity.

We are poor indeed if this Nation cannot afford to lift from every recess of American life the dread fear of the unemployed that they are not needed in the world. We cannot afford to accumulate a deficit in the books of human fortitude.

In the place of the palace of privilege we seek to build a temple out of faith and hope and charity."

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=15314


That was the democratic party platform, basically, 72 years ago. Where did we go wrong? Now all we talk about is Obama versus Hillary and a whole bunch of crap that doesn't really matter. Is this really my party? WTF?

Having a roof over your head and a job matters more than whether you're black, white or a woman. Seriously, we once used to be a much more compassionate country.

FDR embodied the "mainstream" when W's (and Gore's) grand-daddy's were the ones living in the "palace of privilege" opposing FDR.