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| From Whittier College blog post |
The inaugural address of
President Richard Nixon, January 20, 1969, begins thusly…
“Senator Dirksen, Mr.
Chief Justice, Mr. Vice President, President Johnson, Vice President Humphrey,
my fellow Americans, and my fellow citizens of the world community.”
Recently viewing that
address, I paused upon hearing the words “my fellow citizens of the world
community.” The very conservative, law focused, patriotic, president addressed
the world community in the same breath as “My fellow Americans.” President
Richard Nixon, with those words, considered himself and the rest of us as citizens
of the world community.
President Richard Nixon,
born into a Quaker family, having gone to a Quaker college, surely was
influenced by the value of peacemaking.
About two minutes and ten
seconds into his address he spoke “The greatest honor history can bestow is the
title of Peacemaker. This honor now beckons America. The chance to help lead
the world at last, out of the valley of turmoil, and on to that high ground of
peace man has dreamed of since the dawn of civilization.”
I cannot think of anybody
who would describe Nixon as naïve. And regardless of political persuasion, I
think most folk would accept that he was competent for the position of
President. And there, up front in his address, in a very presidential style, he
revealed his priority…world community, peace.
Neither am I naïve. I
know that whatever our priorities and goals, we cannot intimidate reality
toward our own will, neither does reality negotiate its own willfulness.
But this does not relax
us from the burden of trying to seek peace.
I petition everyone,
whether in prayer as a person of faith, or in respect of human conscience, to
work toward peace.
This election, November
3, 2026, make peace the priority it was for Nixon.
Let us commit to carrying
forward his call for peace in the world community.
Elect candidates who will not only speak peace but also have shown a consistent work toward peace.
The full Inaugural address can be viewed at this link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipyhSEvfaUs
for information regarding Nixon’s time at Whittier
College, please visit:
https://www.whittier.edu/admission/blog/richard-nixons-34-legacy-whittier
