What would Charlie Gibson have said to  FDR about his radio address in the spring of 1941 when FDR said, “Today the whole world is divided between human slavery and human freedom—between pagan brutality and the Christian ideal. We choose human freedom—which is the Christian ideal. No one of us can waver for a moment in his courage or his faith.”

Can you see Charlie Gibson saying: President Roosevelt, are you saying we’re fighting Christ’s war?  I doubt it.

I have to say, Gibson made a real arse of himself in his interview with Sarah Palin.  I actually thought he might do a decent job.  But when the first clip was released of him grilling Palin on —ooo—-G-O-D—oooooo, I have to say, my blood started boiling.  Lee and Atticus and I were watching it on the web, and I immediately yelled that those weren’t her exact words!  And Gibson said, “exact words.”  And it turns out Gibson wasn’t right at all.

Well, Charlie Gibson, you’re no Tim Russert, my friend.  Tim Russert would have pulled up the audio or the transcript before he ever even asked the question.  That’s what professionals do.  But then if Gibson did do what Russert would have done,  Gibson couldn’t have made his grand attempt to make Palin’s faith look simplistic.

But I digress.  When is the media going to understand that there are people out there in this country who believe in God.  Who love God.  Who ask God for guidance. And in the history of our country, both Democrats and Republicans have espoused God.  

And that’s what I love about this video put together by Citizens United.  And I guess that’s one of the reasons I found Harold Ford Jr.’s run for the Senate so refreshing.  He gets it.

And here’s an older post of mine with the contents of FDR’s radio address:

I have several old papers from the 1940’s.  One of them is The Knoxville Journal Wednesday, May 28, 1941.

The paper’s masthead reads 102nd YEAR  State Edition  Knoxville, Tenn., Wednesday, May 28, 1941  16 pages:: Two Sections Today  Price 5 CENTS

In the upper right hand corner is notes: TENNESSEE VALLEY’S GREATEST NEWSPAPER
Full Associated Press Service
International News Pictures

The headline for this day in the Knoxville Journal history was:
“FDR PROCLAIMS ‘UNLIMITED EMERGENCY’ AND PLEDGES ALL ‘NECESSARY STEPS’ TO ASSURE SAFE DELIVER OF BRITISH AID”

The part I have typed up is from page 9.

There is a text on page 9 of FDR’s National Emergency Proclamation with FDR and Cordell Hull listed as Secretary of the State.

But also on page 9, is the headline that reads “Text of Roosevelt’s Speech Pledging War Aid Delivery”

Other than an advertisement for Hale’s Drugs where you could buy 5 lbs of grass seed for 69 cents, Vitalis Hair Tonic for 39 cents, or an electric toaster for 77 cents, the text of President Roosevelt’s Speech took up the entire page.

I pulled out two segments of his speech.  The speech was divided with headings, and I have typed up two of the sections (with the headings that FDR gave them) as they appear in the paper (including any typographical errors.)

From President Roosevelt’s speech—a speech that President Roosevelt could deliver today.

“SOME EYES SHUT

There is, of course, a small group of sincere, patriotic men and women whose real passion for peace has shut their eyes to the ugly realities of international banditry and to the need to resist it at all costs.

I am sure they are embarrassed by the sinister support they are receiving from the enemies of democracy in our midst—the Bundists, and Fascists, and Communists, and every group devote[d] to bigotry and racial and religious intolerance.  It is no mere coincidence that all the arguments put forward by these enemies of democracy—all their attempts to confuse and divide our people and destroy public confidence in our government—all their defeatist forebodings that Britain and democracy are already beaten—all their selfish promises that we can “do business” with Hitler—all of these are but echoes of the words that have been poured out from the Axis’ bureaus of propaganda.  Those same words have been used before in other countries—to scare them, to divide them, to soften them up.  Invariably, those same words have formed the advance guard of physical attack.

Your government has the right to expect of all citizens that they take loyal part in the common work of our common defense—take loyal part from this moment forward.

I have recently set up the machinery for civilian defense.  It will rapidly organize, locality by locality.  It will depend on the organized effort of men and women everywhere.  All will have responsibilities to fulfill.

WORLD IS DIVIDED

Today the whole world is divided between human slavery and human freedom—between pagan brutality and the Christian ideal.

We choose human freedom—which is the Christian ideal.

No one of us can waver for a moment in his courage or his faith.

We will not accept a Hitler dominated world.  And we will not accept a world, like the postwar world of the 1920’s, in which the seeds of Hitlerism can again be planted and allowed to grow.

We will accept only a world consecrated to freedom of speech and expression—freedom of every person to worship God in his own way—freedom from want—and freedom from terrorism.

Is such a world impossible of attainment?

Magna Carta, The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution of the United States, the Emancipation Proclamation and every other milestone in human progress—all were ideals which seemed impossible of attainment—yet they were attained.

As a military force, we were weak when we established our independence, but we successfully stood off tyrants, powerful in their day, who are now lost in the dust of history.”