Idealistic progressives?

A friend of mine writing for the state paper concluded a litany of experiences growing up in the early days of the 20th century including the outhouse, lack of running water, coal burning stoves etc.

He concluded with a comment that idealistic progressives would certainly eventually do us in as a civilization. Because that probably describes me, I got to thinking about whether those idealistic progressives have really had that much to do with the current condition of our beloved country, and I concluded that he was absolutely correct.

Some idealistic progressives in the 19th century advocated for free public education for all youth, even those not the progeny of land owners and businessmen who could afford private tutors. They may even have seen the incredible evil of something called slavery and supported its abolition.

There must have been at least one of those idealistic progressives that thought that women were of sufficient intelligence that they could vote in general elections; and that creating rules to keep the “lower class” from voting were undemocratic and should be done away with. Lo and behold...these things were done away with.

People shouldn’t starve in this country decided some idealistic progressives, or lose their homes when they got old, or sit in dark and cold farm houses. And, along came social security, federal mortgage guarantees, and - oh, yes - rural electrification. Then my friend could have that light, heat, and running water.

The second poorest class of people were unable to afford health care, so some idealistic progressive enlisted Harry Truman to promote a health care program that would allow seniors a better chance for a healthy retirement. Fifteen years later, Medicare came along for the seniors and then Medicaid for the poor.

Robert Kennedy once said, “Some see the way things are and ask, ‘Why?’” I see things that never were and ask,”Why not?”

It may be to our betterment that we have dreamers, those idealistic progressives, who can stand up for those “ideals” upon which this land of ours was built and will only survive if we maintain our courage to face our problems, and our compassion and concern for our fellow citizens.