Back in the day things were a lot different.
Values were held sacred. Harry Truman, while a staunch Democrat, adhered to his
values and responsibility.
Harry Truman was a different kind of
President. He probably made as many, or more important decisions regarding our
nation's history as any of the other 32 Presidents preceding him. However, a
measure of his greatness may rest on what he did after he left the White House.
The only asset he had when he died was the
house he lived in, which was in Independence Missouri. His wife had inherited
the house from her mother and father and other than their years in the White
House, they lived their entire lives there.
When he retired from office in 1952 his
income was a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year.
Congress, noting that he was paying for his
stamps and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and, later, a
retroactive pension of $25,000 per year.
After President Eisenhower was inaugurated,
Harry and Bess drove home to Missouri by themselves. There was no Secret
Service following them.
When offered corporate positions at large
salaries, he declined, stating, "You don't want me. You want the office of
the President, and that doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the American people
and it's not for sale."
Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was
preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to
accept it, writing, "I don't consider that I have done anything which
should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise."
As president he paid for all of his own
travel expenses and food.
Modern politicians have found a new level of
success in cashing in on the Presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today,
many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying
the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale (cf. Illinois).
Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed,
"My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a
politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!
I say dig him up and clone him!
If only today’s politicians would emulate
Truman—at least in these attributes—we would have a better world.
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