Recent Articles | About Authors | About the Syndicate | Archives

To receive a plain text copy of this article by email, see info at the bottom of this page.

Real Answers™
kw66
Copyright: © 2008 Kendall Wingrove
780 words

REMEMBERING MR. SMITH AND THE IMPORTANCE OF LOST CAUSES

By: Kendall Wingrove

Where have you gone, Jefferson Smith?  A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.

This month marks the 100th anniversary of Jimmy Stewart’s birth and provides an opportunity to remember the late actor and the fictional characters he created in classics like “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.”  Stewart’s life, on- and off-screen, speaks volumes about an America that used to be and the country it has become.

“Mr. Smith” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” are two defining moments in Stewart’s distinguished career.  Filmed at opposite ends of World War II, each focuses on an honest protagonist surrounded by greed and corruption.  Whether it’s Washington D.C. or Bedford Falls, Jeff Smith and George Bailey faced plenty of obstacles.

The morality of such characters is as black and white as these old films.  Yet to many modern viewers, these standards must seem as distant as a Norman Rockwell painting.

We’ve been conditioned for a long time to expect little of ourselves and our national leaders.  Now it is acceptable to act unacceptably.   There is no need to change bad behavior.  Instead, put the onus on heredity and environment; admit responsibility but avoid all blame.

If apprehended, quickly issue a statement saying mistakes were made, but never identify who made the errors.  Then hire experts for damage control and explain there was no controlling legal authority preventing your action.  When all else fails, attack any messenger who dares to shed light on your misdeeds.

Ignore core beliefs and do what is politically expedient.  Commission a survey and find out what the people want you to say, at least for this week.  No sense worrying about timeless truths.  The pledge you make today can be finessed by the handlers tomorrow. 

Besides, there is little incentive for leaders to seek higher standards.  Many of their own constituents cheat on their taxes, lie to their spouses and fail to cast a ballot. 

It wasn’t always this way.  Certainly past generations of Americans had their weaknesses, but there was a code of common decency and expected behavior.  Leaders were accountable for their actions and paid a penalty for serious violations.

There were even principles worth risking your life to preserve.  While George Bailey never made it to the war, Jimmy Stewart flew dangerous bombing missions to beat back Nazi tyranny.

Stewart and his peers were victorious over evil.  But in the postwar era occupied by their children, America lost its sense of shame.  The next generation reveled in its freedoms but forgot who paid the price for them.  Instead of honoring the sacrifice, many coming of age in the 1960s used those same liberties to mock the providers of that cherished legacy.

With each passing decade, they have made a mad rush to overturn every moral standard in the name of progress.  Today, wrongdoers appear on television programs to document their sins before applauding audiences.   Celebrities and sports figures caught with their hand in the cookie jar get lucrative contracts to “tell it all.”  And, like lemmings, we buy their books and watch the boob tube, fascinated by the circus and the clowns as they perform.

Why do we wallow in our wasteful ways?  Despite a desire for things to improve, Americans routinely accept the lowest common denominator.  If we reached for heaven, instead of clinging to the dirt under our feet, more dreams would be realized.

No one expects leaders to be perfect.  But those setting our national agenda should believe in basic truths and defend them at any cost.  Those officials should serve a well-informed citizenry.  Communities depend on the George Baileys who vote and obey the laws of the land.

Laws, and those who shape them, should matter.  During the famous filibuster scene in “Mr. Smith,” the exhausted senator tells his colleagues about the value of fighting for lost causes.

“Someone will listen to me,” he says just before collapsing.

It’s time we answer Senator Smith’s plea.  Instead of being overwhelmed by the din around us, we should shut out the noise and get on our knees.  In that silence, let’s contemplate Jeremiah 26:3:  “perhaps they will listen and everyone will turn from his evil way.” 

By repenting, we could cleanse our souls and our nation and champion some of the lost causes.   Instead of waiting for the federal government to solve all our woes, many answers could be found inside each of us.

Where has Jefferson Smith gone?  He’s right in the mirror if we just take a moment to look.  By lingering there, we could find some new and useful priorities and build wonderful lives for ourselves and our neighbors.

"Real Answers™" furnished courtesy of The Amy Foundation Internet Syndicate. To contact the author or The Amy Foundation, write or E-mail to: P. O. Box 16091, Lansing, MI 48901-6091; amyfoundtn@aol.com

Request this article:
To instantly receive a plain text copy of this article by email, enter your publication title, city and state, and email address, then retype the article number (shown in bold below). Then click the "Send It" button once.
Fields marked (*) are required

back to top