“I can not help feeling very sorry for honest conscientious objectors, for I am quite sure that many a young man must find it bitter to let other young men of his own age die and fight and give up time in occupations they care little about.
It is only because of these young men, however, [...]
Monthly Archives: January 2008
On people who are opposed to war:
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Today (January 29) in Eleanor Roosevelt’s History:
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
On January 29, 1934, Eleanor Roosevelt wrote to her friend Lorena:
“People are never satisfied . . . unless things are done for them. It is unfortunate that we have to do it, they like doing for themselves. Human beings are poor things, think how much discipline we need ourselves & don’t get too discouraged.”
Today (January 24) in Eleanor Roosevelt’s History:
Thursday, January 24, 2008
On January 24, 1934, Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt entertained Albert Einstein and his wife at the White House. Eleanor wrote to her friend Lorena Hickok, describing the visit of the famous scientist:
“The Einsteins arrived [at the White House] & are priceless, so German & so simple with many wise gentle German qualities.”
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day:
Monday, January 21, 2008
Eleanor Roosevelt believed strongly that all people should have equal rights, and that equality would allow people of different races to live together peacefully. Like Martin Luther King, Jr., whose life and work we celebrate today, Roosevelt looked to a day when all people would be equal. She wrote:
“There is no reason why all of [...]
On the dangers of the world:
Monday, January 14, 2008
“. . . there can be a real development of understanding among human beings, though it may take a great many years before there is sufficient change throughout the world to eliminate some of the dangers which we now face daily.”
On social welfare programs:
Saturday, January 12, 2008
“. . . it is not just enough to give people who have suffered a better house and better wages. You must give them education and understanding and training before you can expect them to take up their full responsibility.”
On killing during warfare:
Thursday, January 10, 2008
“Can we kill other human beings if we do not hate them? . . . many a young soldier going into the war, will assure you that he cannot hate the individuals of any race. He can only hate the system which has made those individuals his enemies. If he must kill them in order [...]
Today (January 8) in Eleanor Roosevelt’s History:
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
On January 8, 1936, Eleanor Roosevelt wrote in her “My Day” column:
“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.”
We would do well to be as optimistic as Eleanor, especially at this time of year, as we struggle to stick to our New Year’s resolutions.
On Hillary Clinton’s third-place finish in the Iowa caucus:
Friday, January 4, 2008
After Hillary Clinton’s third-place finish in the Iowa caucus, despite the fact that many people thought she was the obvious front-runner, one wonders whether Eleanor Roosevelt was right when she said that it was doubtful that a woman would become president of the United States anytime in the near future. She wrote:
“This country is no [...]
On soldiers suffering emotional distress after being in combat:
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
“War will give opportunities for heroism which do not arise in every-day living, but that is not all that war will do. It will place men for weeks under conditions which are physically so bad that years later they may still be suffering from the effects of the ‘period of adventure’ even though they may [...]