How this all started…

The word "Politics" comes from the Greek words "Polites" and "Polis" which taken together would mean "Citizen of the City". In brief, Politics is about people, and to some extent, how they are governed. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "All history is biography". There is an old adage that all politics are local. These two observations seem to say that most so-called political transactions are in the singular, one-on-one. Many Politicians do not care for the necessity of running for public office, but I loved it. One at a time, I would introduce myself to a person, shake their hand and ask for their vote. It was an experience that I very much came to value, not in the least for my respect for the way we Americans govern ourselves. Winston Churchill (half American) once said that "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for everything else we've ever tried". Fisher Ames once observed "A dictatorship is a ship which sails well, but will eventually strike a rock and go to the bottom; while a republic is a raft, which never sinks, but then your feet are always in the water". It seems to me, that both men believe our experience in self-government is far from perfected. In his book "The Price of Union", Herbert Agar writes "politics can not rise above the mixed nature of man"; however, we have a work in progress -- and again Churchill observes, "No one can predict the future, but the past gives us hope". John F. Kennedy often said that public service (politics) is an honorable profession -- and so it is. The Scriptures tell us that "As a man thinks in his heart, then so is he". It would seem that public service is only as honorable as the person seeking and serving -- which, of course, applies to any and all professions. Regardless of the words, public service or politics, it will only be honorable if the person elected has internalized the concept "Let Right be Done". This must be remembered and used for decision-making if we have any desire for this profession to be called "honorable" from start to the end of the beginning. All these words, ideas and concepts resonated with me. So in November 1969, at age 29, I announced my candidacy for the Alabama House of Representatives. The irony of that day in November did not escape me. Here was an extreme introvert who had just entered the most extroverted of professions. While deliberations were underway in Constitution Hall, Franklin commented to his fellow revolutionaries "Gentlemen, we must all hang together, or we shall all hang separately". That warning is no less true now than it was then. And outside Constitution Hall, a Lady said to Franklin, "What kind of government did you give us, Mr. Franklin?” -- He answered -- “A Republic, if you can keep it". Can we keep it? I believe we have, and we will continue to do so with this caveat.. Freedom like Grace is free, but it ain't cheap. "The past gives us Hope".