Monday, January 19, 2009

In the spirit of the gift...

...Practices of the unscrupulous money changers stand indicted in the court of public opinion, rejected by the hearts and minds of men.

True they have tried, but their efforts have been cast in the pattern of an outworn tradition. Faced by failure of credit they have proposed only the lending of more money. Stripped of the lure of profit by which to induce our people to follow their false leadership, they have resorted to exhortations, pleading tearfully for restored confidence. They know only the rules of a generation of self-seekers. They have no vision, and when there is no vision the people perish.

The money changers have fled from their high seats in the temple of our civilization. We may now restore that temple to the ancient truths. The measure of the restoration lies in the extent to which we apply social values more noble than mere monetary profit...

...We do not distrust the future of essential democracy. The people of the United States have not failed. In their need they have registered a mandate that they want direct, vigorous action. They have asked for discipline and direction under leadership. They have made me the present instrument of their wishes. In the spirit of the gift I take it.


From Franklin D. Roosevelt's Inaugural address

3 comments:

  1. Wow ... you'd think we'd learn from history.

    ReplyDelete
  2. And history repeats itself again.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous7:22 PM

    Now if Obama will take a whip instead of a noodle to the Money Changers and drive them out, we might just get us some justice in this country.

    ReplyDelete