by Alan Colmes
From: Mike
Sent: Friday.July 25,2003 5:42 AM
To: Colmes
Subject: I'm Ticked
Mr Colmes,
When I first started watching your show I was, or thought I was, a strict conservative.Your calm and commonsense explanations ... on events ... have corrupted my once unshakable conservatism. Each day i find myself becoming more liberal. I don't know if I should be really mad at you for changing years of consistent viewpoints or thank you for enlightening me to a political philosophy I had previously considered to be "left-wing wacko."
I should probably thank you. And will, thanks and keep up the good work...
Mike
Hollywood, FL
On January 6, 1941, Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered his "Four Freedoms" address to Congress. More than half a century later, it still represents the highest ideals for which this liberal nation should aim:
In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression—everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way— everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want—which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants—everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear— which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor—anywhere in the world.
Equally prescient was Eleanor Roosevelt. In her posthumously published book, Tomorrow Is Now, she wrote:
Once more we are in a period of uncertainty, of danger, in which not only our own safety but that of all mankind is threatened. Once more we need the qualities that inspired the development of the democratic way of life. We need imagination and integrity, courage and a high heart. We need to fan the spark of conviction, which may again inspire the world as we did with our new idea of the dignity and worth of free men. But first we must learn to cast out fear. People who "view with alarm" never build anything.
It's remarkable how those words resonate today. In this period of uncertainty, liberals must stand strong against both our domestic adversaries who would compromise our freedoms and foreign forces that would destroy them, for once we give in to the former, we invite the latter. While holding our ground, however, we must extend our hands across political boundaries so we can walk the common ground that binds us together as Americans, in the name of shared love of country. We must look forward, not with fear, but with confidence in our convictions and the courage to stay true to our ideals. We must do so without delay, for tomorrow is now.
NOTES
Notes & Index had been sripped away because of very evident reasons J
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