Truman’s View of the Presidency

President Harry S Truman has been rated as a better president by historians now than what the opinions were of him during his term in office. I had an opportunity to hear him speak years after he had been President, and his comments influenced my thoughts on the presidency.

(Note that the S in Truman’s middle name does not have a period after it. That is because his middle name was simply S).

This story explains his words and points to lessons we can learn from them.

Truman not respected

In many situations Harry S Truman was not given the respect he was due.

He was a relatively short man, who did not have a college degree. He became President by default when Roosevelt passed away. Truman was not expected to win the election when he defeated Thomas Dewey in 1948. He was snubbed by General MacArthur in a meeting concerning the Korean War, and was up for impeachment because he relieved MacArthur of his duties.

After Truman left office in 1952, a popular song was played on the radio that went, “Poor little robin. Walking, walking, walking to Missouri. Can’t afford to fly.” It was an obvious reference to Truman, as he took the train back to his home in Independence, Missouri.

Heard Truman speak

Although I was too young to bother about politics, the lack of respect of Truman influenced my opinion of the man. Thus, years later, when he was invited to speak at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, I was not too interested. But for some reason, I stopped in to hear his speech.

I am glad that I did, because what he said influenced my thoughts.

Truman said, in effect that, “No matter what your political opinions or viewpoints are, you should always respect the President of the United States. Remember that he is the most powerful person in the world and represents you and your country. Bringing the President down or showing lack of respect to the person is dragging your country down.”

Words ring true

Truman’s words ring true. Although we may disagree with the President’s politics, the person has been elected to do a job. Also, no matter what the personal faults of the individual, you don’t want to see them dragged through the mud in the scandal sheets. such actions reflect on yourself and your nation.

I remember when President Reagan was shot by John Hinkley in an attempted assassination. Reporters interviewed some local high school students, asking what they thought of the shooting. One student said, “So what? He deserved it. He’s just a rag.”

This just shows the disrespect many have for the Presidency.

Lessons learned

In conclusion, lessons learned from President Truman are:

• You should respect the president as our representative
• Don’t get dragged in the dirt
• Truman’s middle name is S

Can you think of anything else?

What do you think?

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