Living, Leading, and the American Dream

I had heard of John Gardner but had not read any of his work. This book is one of the most inspiring I have ever read. Gardner talks about what it really means to be an American, and what we all need to do if we are going to have a country we can be proud of.

In this time of political fear and war mongering, it is great to be reminded that dissent is not un-American and in fact it is your patriotic duty to stand up for the ideas and beliefs you hold true. And Gardner was true to his word. He stepped down from the Johnston administration to protest the war in Vietnam and went on to found Common Cause. I'd like to see a politician do that today.What I found most relevant is his theme that if you want a working democracy you have to work for it. He constantly is reminding us that people need to be involved and engaged in the political process if democracy is to survive. Too many people today have been scared out of the process and too many others accept blind allegiance as patriotism.When founding of Common Cause, he wrote "The impulses to lie, cheat, steal and defraud will never die. The swindlers and charlatans and well-dressed crooks who prey on the citizen by manipulating the political process will always be with us." Sadly his words have proved to be all too true.For those who need to be inspired that there is still hope for a real and true American democracy, this book is for you.