work which the critic himself never tries to perform , an intellectual aloofness which will not accept contact with life ’ s realities — all these are marks , not as the possessor would fain to think , of superiority , but of weakness .”
He goes on to talk about the Declaration of Independence and the statement “ all men are created equal .” He elaborates with the following :
“ We are bound in honor to refuse to listen to those men who would make us desist from the effort to do away with the inequality which means injustice ; the inequality of right , of opportunity , of privilege . We are bound in honor to strive to bring even nearer the day when , as far as is humanly possible , we shall be able to realize the ideal that each man shall have an equal opportunity to show the stuff that is in him by the way in which he renders service .
The good citizen will demand liberty for himself , and as a matter of pride he will see to it that others receive liberty which he thus claims as his own . Probably the best test of true love of liberty in any country is the way in which minorities are treated in that country . “
The speech is eye-opening , which for me means , it challenges my ideas , my beliefs . I read it . I think about the time and the context in which it was offered . I think about the experience of the person giving the speech . And , finally , I find the good in it . I intentionally look for the passages that resonate with my experience , the one ’ s that inspire me to be a better person , and in this case , a better citizen .
I don ’ t agree with everything said in the speech ; that ’ s not the point . There are parts of it , in my opinion , that have stood the test of time , and other ’ s that have not . This exercise , however , of reading old speeches such as this one , has left me nostalgic ; nostalgic for a time when communication was more than sound bites . And I appreciate my hypocrisy in that statement . I have long been a proponent of the “ Man in the Arena ” quote (“ sound bite ”) and never did the research to really explore it . I just accepted the sound bite on its face .
Exploring the context for one of my favorite passages has been really satisfying . It has also potentially de-throned my favorite passage from the text . I will share my new-favorite passage from “ Man in the Arena ,” and yes , I did have to google what “ internecine ” means :
“ In a republic , to be successful we must learn to combine intensity of conviction with a broad tolerance of difference of conviction . Wide differences of opinion in matters of religious , political , and social belief must exist if conscience and intellect alike are not to be stunted , if there is to be room for healthy growth . Bitter internecine hatreds , based on such differences , are signs , not of earnestness of belief , but of that fanaticism which , whether religious or anti-religious , democratic or anti-democratic , is itself but a manifestation of the gloomy bigotry which has been the chief factor in the downfall of so many , many nations .”
In closing , I re-pose , “ Am I good citizen ?” Yes . Yes , I am . I am neither lazy , indifferent , nor intolerant . I am self-sufficient . I am devoted to my country . I am not a good citizen because I vote the same as you , or because we agree on absolutely everything . I am a good citizen because I recognize the value and necessity in discourse and respect difference of opinion , and in the words of Teddy himself , I refuse to be a “ slave of names .” Look it up . �
Theodore Roosevelt stood before a crowd at the Sorbonne in Paris on April 23 , 1910 , and gave a speech that covered a host of topics from his family history to the falling birthrate in France . PHOTO : The Buckley School
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