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President Harry Truman, and the sign he made famous\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n As we gear up<\/a> for the 2016 presidential election<\/a>, it might be a good idea to remember how our presidents used to be<\/em>.\u00a0 And a good place to start might be the late Harry Truman:<\/p>\n Harry S. Truman [1884-1972] was the\u00a033rd<\/a>\u00a0President of the United States<\/a>\u00a0(1945\u20131953). \u00a0The final\u00a0running mate<\/a>\u00a0of President\u00a0Franklin D. Roosevelt<\/a>\u00a0in 1944, Truman succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when Roosevelt died…\u00a0 Under Truman, the U.S. successfully concluded\u00a0World War II<\/a>[, but] in the aftermath of the conflict, tensions with the\u00a0Soviet Union<\/a>\u00a0increased, marking the start of the\u00a0Cold War<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Simply put, Harry was an uncomplicated shoot from the lip<\/em> politician with an equally uncomplicated sense of right and wrong.\u00a0 And so, looking at today\u2019s politicians – and to borrow a phrase from the 1860<\/em> presidential election \u2013 we might say, \u201cOh, for an hour of Truman<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n For one thing, Truman was noted for his \u201crefreshing candor.\u201d\u00a0 For another, Harry was noted for being open-minded<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 He was willing to listen to \u201cwhat the other fella has to say.\u201d\u00a0 (A trait this blog seeks to promote.<\/em>)\u00a0 And he was known for his avid reading, much of it from history books:<\/p>\n There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know\u2026 \u00a0 [G]o back to old Hammurabi, the Babyonian emperor [shown below right]. \u00a0 Why, he had laws that covered everything, adultery and murder and divorce, everything\u2026\u00a0 Those people had the same problems as we have now. Men don\u2019t change.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n See also Code\u00a0of\u00a0Hammurabi\u00a0\u2013 Wikipedia<\/a>, for an idea of the kind<\/em> of things that haven’t changed much.\u00a0 Another<\/em> thing that hasn\u2019t changed is the number of \u201creligious phonies\u201d around.\u00a0 (I Googled <\/a>that term and got 2,720,000 results<\/em>.) \u00a0 Truman had something to say about them too:<\/p>\n About this counterfeit business.\u00a0 My Grandfather Young felt the same way.\u00a0 We had a church in the front yard\u2026\u00a0 And the Baptists and the Methodists and all of them used it.\u00a0 And Grandfather Young when I was six years old \u2026 told me that whenever the customers in any of those denominations prayed too loud in the Amen corner, you\u2019d better go home and lock your smokehouse\u2026\u00a0\u00a0 And I found that to be true.\u00a0 I\u2019ve never cared much for the loud pray-ers [sic] or for people who do that much going on about religion.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n (Miller, 56<\/em>)\u00a0 That would seem especially true of politicians today who tend to \u201cwear their religion on their\u00a0sleeves<\/a>.\u201d \u00a0 (Or they might attack their opponents\u2019 religion, or claim they\u2019re \u201cbetter Christians,\u201d or otherwise use religion for their own benefit.\u00a0 And incidentally, Jesus felt the same way Harry did about people who \u201cpray too loud.\u201d\u00a0 See Matthew 6:5-6, and Praying in public<\/a>.<\/em>)<\/p>\n For another thing, he didn’t have much use for the reporters – the “media” – of his day.<\/p>\n Newspapermen, and they\u2019re all a bunch of lazy cusses, once one of them writes something, the others rewrite it and rewrite it, and they keep right on doing it without ever stopping to find out if the first fellow was telling the truth or not.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Then there was one of Truman\u2019s best-known statements, “the buck stops here<\/em>.”\u00a0 It seems that Harry was quite the avid poker player<\/a>, and so quite familiar with passing<\/strong> the buck<\/em>:<\/p>\n The expression [came] from poker<\/a>, in which a marker or counter \u2026 was used to indicate the person whose turn it was to deal<\/a>.\u00a0 If the player did not wish to deal he could pass [the \u201cbuck<\/a>\u201c] to the next player. \u00a0 Another [possible source] is to the French expression \u201cbouc \u00e9missaire<\/strong>\u201d meaning scapegoat, whereby passing the \u201cbouc\u201d is equivalent to passing the blame or onus.\u00a0 The terms \u201cbouc \u00e9missaire\u201d and scapegoat<\/a> both originate from an Old Testament reference (Lev. 16:6-10<\/a>) to an animal that was ritually made to carry the burden of sins, after which the \u201cbuck\u201d was sent or \u201cpassed\u201d into the wilderness to expiate them.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n See Buck passing \u2013 Wikipedia<\/a>.\u00a0 (See also the notes and On scapegoating<\/a>.)<\/p>\n And finally, unlike many politicians today, Harry Truman hesitated to ever call anyone<\/em> a liar. (See for example The accusation of lying \u2013 what politics reveals about our need for the truth<\/a>.)\u00a0\u00a0 That was a policy based on his reading – of all things – the four Gospels:<\/p>\n I\u2019ve always done considerable reading of the Bible\u2026 \u00a0I liked the New Testament stories best, especially the Gospels. \u00a0And when I was older, I was very much interested in the way those fellas saw the same things in a different manner<\/strong>. \u00a0A very different manner, and they were all telling the truth. \u00a0I think that\u2019s the first time I realized that no two people ever see the same thing in quite the same way, and when they tell it the way they saw it, they aren\u2019t necessarily lying if it\u2019s different\u2026 \u00a0 And that is one of the reasons that when I got into a position of power I always tried to keep in mind that just because I saw something in a certain way didn\u2019t mean that others didn\u2019t see it in a different manner. \u00a0That\u2019s why I always hesitated to call a man a liar unless I had the absolute goods on him.\u00a0 (E.A.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n So to sum it all up:\u00a0 1)\u00a0 Harry Truman was open-minded<\/em><\/strong>, willing to listen to \u201cwhat the other fella has to say.\u201d\u00a0 2)\u00a0 He was an avid reader, and especially of history.\u00a0 (See also Quote by Harry S. Truman: \u201cThe only thing new in the world is the history you do not know<\/a>.”)<\/em>\u00a0 3)\u00a0 He didn’t \u201cwear his religion on his sleeve<\/a>.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 4)\u00a0 He thought most reporters were lazy, but recognized that we need them to function politically.\u00a0 5)\u00a0 Not only was he an avid poker player – and thus more of a regular guy<\/a> – but Harry Truman also realized he “wasn’t God.” \u00a0 And finally, 7) he hesitated to ever<\/em> call another politician a liar unless he “had the absolute goods on him.”<\/p>\n * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n The writers of the\u00a0Four Gospel<\/a>s, as noted by Harry Truman above…<\/em><\/p>\n * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n The upper image is courtesy of Everyone Is Butchering \u2018the Buck Stops Here<\/a>,’ which said the phrase did not<\/strong> mean a president can be blamed for everything bad that happens on his watch, as used today.\u00a0 Instead it was aimed at \u201cMonday morning quarterbacking\u201d (also known as \u201cwhining<\/strong>\u201c):\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYou know, it\u2019s easy for the Monday morning quarterback to say what the coach should have done, after the game is over.\u00a0 But when the decision is up before you \u2013 and on my desk I have a motto which says The Buck Stops Here\u2019 \u2013 the decision has to be made.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n See also\u00a0Harry\u00a0S.\u00a0Truman\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Wikipedia<\/a>, source of the brief biography above. For more on the\u00a0the Carolina Israelite<\/a><\/strong>, see About than \u201cWasp\u201d name<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Re: the\u00a0Code\u00a0of\u00a0Hammurabi<\/a>, vis-a-vis things that have been around for awhile.\u00a0 For one thing, the code was among the first to be “arranged in orderly groups, so that everyone who read the laws would know what was required of them.”\u00a0 (This was sometime around 1750 B.C.)\u00a0 Also, the code is “one of the earliest examples of the idea of presumption of innocence<\/a>,” and suggested that “both the accused and accuser have the opportunity to provide evidence<\/a>.”\u00a0 And finally, “its copying in subsequent generations indicates that it was used as a model of legal and judicial reasoning.<\/em><\/p>\n The image of Hammurabi adjacent to the Truman quote about<\/strong> him is courtesy of the Hammurabi<\/a> link contained in the article,\u00a0Code\u00a0of\u00a0Hammurabi\u00a0\u2013 Wikipedia<\/a>.\u00a0 The full caption reads:\u00a0 “The bas-relief of Hammurabi at the United States Congress.”\u00a0 That is, the entrance to the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives features 23 marble portraits of historical figures, one of whom is Hammurabi: The 23 marble relief portraits<\/a> over the gallery doors of the House Chamber<\/a> in the U.S. Capitol<\/a> depict historical figures noted for their work in establishing the principles that underlie American law<\/strong>.\u00a0 They were installed when the chamber was remodeled in 1949-1950. (Emphasis added.)\u00a0 Hammurabi is included because his code – noted by Truman – is “recognized in legal literature as one of the earliest surviving legal codes.”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n The image of Thomas Jefferson is courtesy of Thomas Jefferson – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia<\/a>.\u00a0 The caption:\u00a0 “Thomas Jefferson, Official White House Portrait, by Rembrandt Peale<\/a>, 1805.”<\/em><\/p>\n The image of Justice Holmes is courtesy of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. – Wikipedia<\/a><\/em>.\u00a0 For more pithy quotes from the good Justice, see Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. – Wikiquote<\/a>.\u00a0 Two samples:\u00a0 “Lawyers spend their professional careers shoveling smoke,” and, “The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions.”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The lower image is courtesy of\u00a0Peter Paul\u00a0Rubens: The\u00a0Four Evangelists<\/a>, which noted that \u201cRubens portrayed the four evangelists while working together on their texts.\u00a0 An angel helps them\u2026 \u00a0\u00a0Each gospel author can be identified by an attribute.\u00a0 The attributes were derived from the opening verses of the gospels.\u00a0 From left to right: Luke (bull), Matthew (man [angel]), Mark (lion), and John (eagle).\u201d See also,\u00a0Four Evangelists\u00a0\u2013 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Re: \u201cshooting from the lip.\u201d \u00a0See\u00a0AU theatre presents \u201cGive \u2018em Hell, Harry\u201d<\/a>, noting Truman was a man who \u201cwasn\u2019t afraid to \u2018shoot from the lip\u2019 and put himself on the line for what he believed in, not for what was necessary to win an election.\u201d \u00a0For other views Google\u00a0\u201cshoot from the lip.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Note too that \u201cshooting from the lip\u201d is an ironic twist on the phrase, \u201cshooting from the hip.\u201d\u00a0 See What Does \u201cShoot from the Hip\u201d Mean? \u2013 wiseGEEK<\/a>, re:\u00a0 an American expression referring \u201cto a decision that is reached and implemented without stopping to consider the possible outcomes of the decision.\u201d\u00a0 The site noted two schools of thought: one that the practice is rash and likely to produce worse<\/strong> consequences.\u00a0 The second school relies on an individual using instincts drawn on his or her collective experience; \u201cProponents of this approach note that many opportunities are lost because time is wasted going over the minutiae of how to respond.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n See also the King James Version of Psalm 22:7-8:\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAll they that see<\/span> me laugh me to scorn<\/span>:\u00a0 they shoot out<\/span> the <\/strong>lip<\/strong>,<\/span> they shake<\/span> the head,<\/span> saying, <\/span>He trusted <\/span>on the LORD<\/span> that he would deliver<\/span> him:\u00a0 let him deliver<\/span> him, seeing he delighted<\/span> in him.\u201d (Emphasis added.)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n Re:\u00a0 \u201cOh, for an hour of Truman<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 See History for Kossacks: Election of 1860 \u2013 Daily Kos<\/a>, which \u2013 <\/em>speaking of the interlude between Lincoln\u2019s election and actually taking office \u2013 noted: Lincoln found himself armed with nothing but words to stop the South from seceding before he could even take office\u2026\u00a0\u00a0 President James Buchanan, nearing 70 \u2026 looked at the Constitution and saw his hands being tied by a lack of specific instruction. \u00a0The cry went up from frustrated members of his own party: \u201cOh, but for an hour of Jackson!<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n See also AP US History Chapters 17-19 flashcards | Quizlet<\/a><\/em>, which added that \u201cOld Buck\u201d – Buchanan’s nickname – “almost went out of his way to prove he was no ‘Old Hickory.’<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Re: “Grandfather Young.”\u00a0 According to some sources, \u201cSolomon” Young provided Truman\u2019s middle name, \u201cHarry Solomon Truman.\u201d\u00a0 But the consensus is that his parents couldn\u2019t decide whether to honor Young, the maternal grandfather, or paternal grandfather Andrew Shippe Truman.\u00a0 So the parents decided to go with \u201cthe letter \u2018S\u2019 by itself.\u201d\u00a0 See snopes.com: Harry Truman\u2019s Middle Name<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n The end-quote, on the differences in the Gospels, included this \u201cedited for content,\u201d from page 214: I think I told you, in school we usually only had one man\u2019s point of view of the history of something, and I\u2019d go to the library and read three or four, sometimes as many as half a dozen, versions of the same thing, the same incident, and it was always the differences<\/strong> that interested me. \u00a0 And you had to keep in mind that they were all telling what for them was the truth.\u00a0 (Emphasis in original.)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Re: “discovered that I\u2019m not God\u201d quote.\u00a0 From an interview on Truman’s firing General McArthur.<\/em><\/p>\n Another quote came from<\/em> Dean Acheson, Truman\u2019s Secretary of State, as to \u201cwhy the press did such an abysmally<\/strong> poor job\u201d (emphasis in original) in writing and reporting on Truman as president:<\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s as if the correspondents had made up their minds when Mr. Truman became President that he was a country bumpkin, and I am afraid a great many of them never changed their minds.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n (Miller, 376, referring to a problem that seems to plague some reporters \u201ceven to this day.\u201d)\u00a0 See also Dean Acheson \u2013 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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See\u00a0Plain speaking: an oral biography of Harry S. Truman<\/a>, Merle Miller, Berkley Publishing NY (1973), at page 26.\u00a0 (Which book also supplied the quotes that follow, unless otherwise noted.<\/em>)<\/p>\n![\"Painting](\"http:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/1\/1e\/Thomas_Jefferson_by_Rembrandt_Peale%2C_1800.jpg\/280px-Thomas_Jefferson_by_Rembrandt_Peale%2C_1800.jpg\")
(Miller, 251<\/em>)\u00a0 On the other hand, he agreed with what Thomas Jefferson – shown at left – said about the matter: \u201cWere it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter<\/em>.\u201d See Jefferson on Politics & Government: Freedom of the Press<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Oliver](\"http:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/9\/95\/Oliver_Wendell_Holmes_Jr_circa_1930-edit.jpg\/220px-Oliver_Wendell_Holmes_Jr_circa_1930-edit.jpg\")
In another story that Truman liked to tell – quoted in Miller’s book at page 297 – a reporter once asked Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes (shown at right), \u201cWhat\u2019s the secret of your success?\u201d\u00a0 Justice Holmes reportedly answered, \u201cYoung man, the secret of my success is that at a very early age I discovered that I\u2019m not God<\/strong>.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nNow that\u2019s<\/span> the kind of \u201cdelightfully retro\u201d politician we could use today\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n
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