Calvin Coolidge

I thought I'd tell you a little bit about Calvin Coolidge. Who you say?!

Calvin Coolidge was American president, from 1923 - 1928. A quiet man he was often labelled 'Silent Cal' but he was a great speaker, humorous and godly.

I have put some of his quotes below and attached a link to what I think is one of his greatest speeches and one of my all time favourites, the speech itself is underneath.

Quotes:

Not long after their marriage, Coolidge handed her a bag with fifty-two pairs of socks in it, all of them full of holes. Grace's reply was "Did you marry me to darn your socks?" Without cracking a smile and with his usual seriousness, Calvin answered, "No, but I find it mighty handy."

"If you don't say anything, you won't be called on to repeat it."

"We cannot do everything at once, but we can do something at once."

"It is only when men begin to worship that they begin to grow."

My favourite quote is highlighted in the speech below, that "men show by what they worship what they are" - we display our heart our character by what we worship, if we worship women as idols as items of lust we show our character, if we worship work we show our greed and need for fulfilment, if we worship God we show our humility and graciousness.


http://www.freeinfosociety.com/media.php?id=101
"Duty of Government" Governor Calvin Coolidge, 1920
The first duty of a government is to be true to itself. This does not mean perfection -- it means a plan to strive for perfection. It means loyalty to ideals. The ideals of America were set out in the Declaration of Independence and adopted in the Constitution. They did not represent perfection at hand, but perfection found. The fundamental principle was freedom. The fathers knew that this was not yet apprehended. They formed a government firm in the faith that it was ever to press toward this high mark. In selfishness, in greed, in lust for gain, it turned aside. Enslaving others, it became itself enslaved. Bondage in one part consumed freedom in all parts. The government of the fathers, ceasing to be true to itself, was perishing. Five score and ten years ago, that divine providence which infinite repetition has made only the more a miracle, sent into the world a new life destined to save a nation. No star, no sign foretold his coming. About his cradle all was poor and mean, save only the source of all great men, the love of a wonderful woman. When she faded away in his tender years from her deathbed in humble poverty, she [endowed] her son with greatness. There can be no proper observance of a birthday which forgets the mother. Into his origin, as into his life, men long have looked and wondered. In wisdom great, but in humility greater, in justice strong, but in compassion stronger, he became a leader of men by being a follower of the truth. He overcame evil with good. His presence filled the nation. He broke the might of oppression. He restored a race to its birthright.

His mortal frame has vanished, but his spirit increases with the increasing years the richest legacy of the greatest century. Men show by what they worship what they are. It is no accident that before the great example of American manhood, our people stand with respect and reverence. In Abraham Lincoln is revealed our ideal -- the hope of our country fulfilled. He was the incarnation of what America was to be. Through him, the Almighty bestowed upon the nation a new birth of freedom that this dear land of ours might be returned to the health of its fathers.

We are the beneficiaries of a life of surpassing service. Wise in wisdom and gentle in gentleness. Freedom has many sides and angles. Human slavery has been swept away. With security of personal rights has come security of property rights. The freedom of the human mind is recognized in the right to free speech and free press. The public schools have made education possible for all and ignorance a disgrace. In political affairs, the vote of the humblest has long counted for as much as the vote of the most exalted. We are working towards the day when, in our industrial life, equal honor shall fall to equal endeavor.

Duty is collective as well as personal. Law must rest on the eternal foundations of righteousness. Industry, thrift, character, cannot be conferred by act or resolve. Government cannot relieve from toil. Do the day's work. If it be to protect the rights of the weak -- whoever objects -- do it. If it be to help a powerful corporation better to serve the people -- whatever the opposition - - do that. Expect to be called a stand patter, but don't be a stand patter. Expect to be called a demagogue, but don't be a demagogue. We need a broader, firmer, deeper faith in the people, a faith that men desire to do right -- that the government is founded upon a righteousness which will endure.

The Final

With the selection process now finished we have our finalists.

The selection process though lengthy, has revealed in many cases the true colours of the candidates and there are the inevitable comparisons between experience and youth, and the different backgrounds and upbringings. What is clear is that you didn't necessarily have to be the best candidate to get to this stage, it is more about staying in the race.

Now in truth I am being a little bit guarded here, I am speaking both about the Apprentice and the US presidency, two vastly different jobs, but still two cut throat selection processes. We now know that the Apprentice finalists will be Helene, Claire, Lee and Alex; whilst the US presidency candidates are the Republican John McCain and the Democrat Barack Obama. However Hilary Clinton is manouvering for position as she has yet to formally acknowledge defeat (despite being defeated) if I was Obama I would perhaps let her hang out to dry and embarras herself, rather than meet her supposed demands for the Vice Presidency.

To get to this stage for all concerned has taken a great deal of effort and in the case of the presidency candidates, resources. It may now be a test of stamina rather than genuine ability, Obama will no doubt be more strained after his intense battle with Clinton for the nomination than McCain who has seemingly strolled into the Republican nomination. However McCain's past health problems may catch up with him as they tour the country campaigning for the November elections. Whilst for the apprentice hopefuls those who are tired now after a gruelling selection procedure will struggle in the final task.

Undoubtedly one of the big issues in the US presidency will be experience versus youth, McCain the war veteran vs. Obama the young senator; and this is a recurring argument in any selection procedure, how do you gain experience if you are young without getting exposure to the top jobs. 1 Timothy 4 v12 says "don't let anyone look down on you because you are young," and as young people we can set an example of how to live and act, but we are also called to respect those more experienced than ourselves. Alex in the Apprentice, despite always being defensive, seems especially so about his age being just 24, youth is not there to defend it is there as a positive with potentially years to learn from those ahead of you.

This quote from Pitt the Younger whilst being humourous also serves to make the point about youth and experience.

Pitt was accused by Robert Walpole of being young and theatrical, his retort was such:

The atrocious crime of being a young man, which the honorable gentleman has, with such spirit and decency, charged upon me, I shall neither attempt to palliate nor deny; but content myself with wishing that I may be one of those whose follies may cease with their youth, and not of that number who are ignorant in spite of experience. Whether youth can be imputed to any man as a reproach, I will not, sir, assume the province of determining; but surely age may become justly contemptible, if the opportunities which it brings have passed away without improvement and vice appears to prevail when the passions have subsided.

Pitt's answer was I can't deny my youth , but I hope my mistakes stop in my youth and don't continue onwards as with others. Whether youth can be held against someone as a disgrace I won't say, but experience is no better if it brings no improvement or old and bad habits die hard.

Politics and Geography

This maybe my last post for a while due to job interviews, impending coursework deadlines and exams.

I was doing some bible study this morning and was researching the last part of Matthew 15 where Jesus goes to Magadan. My google search came up with Magadan in Russia, and then I went from there to a link to a place called Transnistria.

Transnistria is a disputed territory in Moldova between Romania and Russia. There was one part of the wikipedia article that really made me laugh. The following quote is taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transnistria

"Election results are considered suspicious, as in 2001 in one region it was reported that Igor Smirnov collected 103.6% of the votes. Nevertheless, some organizations, such as CIS-EMO, have participated and have called them democratic."

Now I heard of Sadaam Hussein having supposedly 'democratic' elections and receiving nearly 100% of the vote, but receiving 103.6 % of the votes is surely corrupt. I fully understand that corruption is not a funny issue and these people seem to be in poverty and to some degree oppression, but I do find it funny that you would try to rig an election and get 103.6% of the votes!

The other striking thing was reading about a city near Magadan, called Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky which is in far Eastern Russia. The city holds nearly 200,000 people and is in apparently beautiful surroundings. The only problem maybe getting there, as there are no roads connecting it to the outside world. It is the second largest city in the world unreachable by roads. The amazing thing is Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is 4124 miles from St. Petersburg and they are in the same country! To put that in perspective its about the same distance as London to Nairobi or London to Florida, and being in the same country.