“I didn’t try to register for you. I tried to register for myself.”
Fannie knew that consequences, but her right to vote meant more to her than a white man dictating what she was to do. I'm not sure I could walk away from my job and my house because of something I believed in.
The first Negro began to beat, and I was beat by the first Negro until he was exhausted, and I was holding my hands behind me at that time on my left side because I suffered from polio when I was six years old. After the first Negro had beat until he was exhausted the State Highway Patrolman ordered the second Negro to take the blackjack.
Reading this physically made me sick. This is something that happens in other countries. Sadly, this still exists for some groups of people. Homosexuals are beat and raped because of who they love, people who have different religious beliefs are beaten, people with different color skin are beaten. Hate is a learned behavior and my hope is that with each generation more and more hate will disappear.
It is impossible for the United States to preserve itself as a republic or as a democracy when 600 families own more of this Nation’s wealth
This is as true today as it was in the 1930's. When it comes to the democracy, it is controlled by the elite. There are a small group of people who fund campaigns and in a way manipulate the public into thinking a certain way and voting a certain way. Yes, every vote counts, but if those votes come from misinformation and manipulation by the media and wealthy elites, is it still a democracy?
We have to limit fortunes. Our present plan is that we will allow no one man to own more that $50,000,000. We think that with that limit we will be able to carry out the balance of the program. It may be necessary that we limit it to less than $50,000,000. It may be necessary, in working out of the plans that no man’s fortune would be more than $10,000,000 or $15,000,000. But be that as it may, it will still be more than any one man, or any one man and his children and their children, will be able to spend in their lifetimes; and it is not necessary or reasonable to have wealth piled up beyond that point where we cannot prevent poverty among the masses.
On paper, this is an excellent concept and something that I think everyone would love to see. Why does any one person need that much money? Why does this concept not work? Why isn't this the standard? If everyone could just sit at home watching TV and having money dropped off, why would anyone work? One major reason is that without incentive, no one would work and there would be no wealth to redistribute. You also gain more than just money from accomplishing something yourself. You build values and morals. You create self worth. Without that, who are you?
I recently came across a well known quote from Booker T. Washington that I think speaks volumes to what is going on right now in the US and what he spoke about in his speech in 1895. "A lie doesn't become truth, wrong doesn't become right, and evil doesn't become good, just because it's accepted by a majority" (Booker T. Washington). Just because someone says it louder and more often, doesn't mean it's true.
In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.
This isn't just about the color of someones skin. I see both sides of this in nursing all the time. Veteran nurses ensuring that new nurses are not successful. ER staffing coming together to save a life, laughing and joking and then leaving work and going their separate ways. Then you have your work wife or work husband, or both, that you call on the drive home and see them on your days off. You can work together to accomplish a common goal and not be friends with the person. Their job performance and abilities should be all the matters. It might amaze you what develops from a working relationship.
I would say: “Cast down your bucket where you are” — cast it down in making friends in every manly way of the people of all races by whom we are surrounded.
These words are as important today as they were in 1895. Everyone needs to, "Cast down your buckets where you are". It shouldn't be us against them, it should be us with them. In trying to resolve the current problems, many groups are creating more separation and division.