Look to history for inspiration on quest of suffrage
Tom Holtan
Issue date: 10/30/08 Section: Letters
History is a tool to be utilized during the political season. Some use history as a means to uncover political candidates voting records. Others use history to dig up obscure facts that dilute the focus of the election.
I look to history to find inspiration on my quest for suffrage. Thomas Jefferson's line from the Declaration of Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms (July 6, 1775) is especially poignant today.
"We cannot endure the infamy and guilt of resigning succeeding generations to that wretchedness which inevitably awaits them ..."
Although Jefferson was talking about the bondage that would occur under British rule, it is hard not to see the parallels with today's society.
Our deficit and debt to China has us fiscally bound. Our lack of funding to education at primary, secondary and post-secondary institutions has us bound to a program of failing schools. Oil dependency has bound us to treacherous countries. Poor diplomacy has bound the U.S. to a failing status worldwide. Social hysteria has bound Wisconsin to a policy of unequal rights for domestic partnerships.
The bondage parallels are endless. On Nov. 4 I'll be voting for Barack Obama. Although he will not be able to unbind us from all of today's perils, he will get the country moving in the right direction. I urge the uncertain to visit www.barackobama.com to discover his policies that will lead us away from the bondage we are facing. Let us hope that Thomas Jefferson's fear does not continue to accrue.
Tom Holtan
Senior
History
Business Administration
I look to history to find inspiration on my quest for suffrage. Thomas Jefferson's line from the Declaration of Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms (July 6, 1775) is especially poignant today.
"We cannot endure the infamy and guilt of resigning succeeding generations to that wretchedness which inevitably awaits them ..."
Although Jefferson was talking about the bondage that would occur under British rule, it is hard not to see the parallels with today's society.
Our deficit and debt to China has us fiscally bound. Our lack of funding to education at primary, secondary and post-secondary institutions has us bound to a program of failing schools. Oil dependency has bound us to treacherous countries. Poor diplomacy has bound the U.S. to a failing status worldwide. Social hysteria has bound Wisconsin to a policy of unequal rights for domestic partnerships.
The bondage parallels are endless. On Nov. 4 I'll be voting for Barack Obama. Although he will not be able to unbind us from all of today's perils, he will get the country moving in the right direction. I urge the uncertain to visit www.barackobama.com to discover his policies that will lead us away from the bondage we are facing. Let us hope that Thomas Jefferson's fear does not continue to accrue.
Tom Holtan
Senior
History
Business Administration
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Lynne Kohn
posted 10/30/08 @ 4:53 PM CST
The writer has a good grasp of history and uses it very appropriately to inform his own opinion and persuade others. He definitely persuaded me. Obama has my vote. (Continued…)
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