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Election 2024: President Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms Speech: Still Relevant
The pain of living with want and fear still dominates the lives of many.
MSNBC’s Alex Wagner recently interviewed a woman of Mexican descent whose family had lived in one place since it was part of Mexico. The woman said she did not like the Democratic party today but liked it when Roosevelt was President.
In his State of the Union speech on January 6, 1941, he announced four freedoms all people should enjoy. These were freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. He began the process of ensuring that all Americans enjoyed these freedoms. The process was furthered by each President until Ronald Reagan.
What followed is an American tragedy.
Reagan changed the focus of government from helping everyone to helping mainly the wealthy.
As a result, the lower classes felt ignored. They were afraid. They were angry. They wanted someone who would help them. Even though he was famous, Donald Trump felt the same way. The people’s feelings resonated with him. He might not have consciously known what was motivating him. He vowed to make himself and them feel better. He, and they, wanted revenge and retribution.
