Letter to the Editor

Obama is no FDR

Friday, February 4, 2011

To the editor:

An article in the Perspective session of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Dec. 28, 2010, aroused my interest. Steve Fraser (tomdispatch.com), author of the article brought up some very interesting comparisons between President Obama and Franklin D. Roosevelt, president of our country from 1933 until his death while still president in 1945.

Mr. Fraser compared things each president accomplished during the first two years of their presidency. The title of the article is "The New Deal in Reverse."

Roosevelt was sworn in as president during the worst depression our country has ever known. There were few jobs open and no work for a hungry people.

By comparison, Obama was elected by an overwhelming majority after the stock market had taken a devastating loss in the previous two years.

Both had won their elections because people realized the country needed to change direction.

While both won by a big majority, our nation was mired in its greatest depression it had ever know when Roosevelt became president.

Three-fourths of the people were without work, our banks were failing and people were withdrawing their money from those still open, having little confidence in their ability to survive.

When Roosevelt was elected, expectations from him were far less than what they were for Obama when he was elected.

What transpired within a year after he assumed office is what merits your attention.

Both men were reluctant to alienate big business, but Roosevelt was much more effective to change the court our our nation than Obama has been to date. Within a short period of time, Roosevelt started programs that created jobs and diminished unemployment and gave America hope. These jobs especially helped rural America, which had long been overlooked.

The agencies he started were the TVA, CCC and HRA. They not only provided jobs, but they helped build the infrastructure of our nation.

After and equal period of time in office by Obama, unemployment is still one of major distress. The programs he has initiated have not only put America deeper in debt, but threaten to undermine our financial future.

The author of the article says that group of people who seem to have benefited the most are the big bankers who he continues to bail out.

Another thing that Obama has done that disturbs many Americans was to endorse and push through Congress a bill that allows gays and lesbians to state their homosexuality. Until he forced a change in the law, they could serve by keeping their mouths shut under a law referred to as "Don't ask. Don't Tell." Now they can openly state their sexual preference.

Our U.S. Sen., Mark Pryor, who had voiced his opposition to changing the law in the press, under pressure from the Democratic Party, changed his mind and voted for Obama's bill. Not one single Democrat in the Senate voted against the new language.

Most people felt that allowing gays to serve openly in the military will make it much easier to pass national legislation to make same sex marriage the law of the land.

The Democratic Party that Roosevelt helped promote was why I have on most occasions supported (the party).

While serving 18 years in the Arkansas Legislature, I saw that the party has little resemblance of those goals today. It is greatly influenced by gays, lesbians and the national labor unions.

Morals that we have followed most of our lives appear to have disappeared.

Principals of Christianity and the morals they promote help make America one of the greatest countries ever known to humankind.

It is again time to forget party politics and quit being swayed by either the Democrats or Republican parties. Let our representatives in Washington vote for what is best for the U.S.A. and forget partisan politics.

Charles Moore
Blytheville
Arkansas State Representative 1969-1986