Role of Government in Society

These messages focus on the benefits and limits of governmental institutions in supporting the citizenry.

    • Accepting Responsibility

      The Great Depression (1929-1939) was perhaps the greatest worldwide economic collapse in history. Today, we think of the Great Depression as being triggered by a stock market crash in the U.S. The crash of the stock market; however, was a symptom, but not the cause of...

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    • Doing Harm

      Albert Kligman was born in 1916 as the son of immigrants to the U.S. His rabbi gave him the financial backing to attend college. He was a scholar-athlete, earning both Ph.D. and MD degrees. As an undergraduate, he was the captain of the gymnastics team. He decided to...

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    • Societal Progress

      Anthony Comstock was born in 1844 in Connecticut. Through his experience serving with the Union Army in the Civil War, he became obsessed with what he considered to be the low state of morals among his fellow soldiers. Returning from the war, he worked at a number of...

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    • The Duplicity of Original Intent

      The founding fathers were concerned that the government they were creating would have the power to take people’s property for public use without the owner’s permission. In the 5th Amendment, the so-called takings clause was added which stated that property could only...

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    • A Failed Mission: The Freedmen’s Bureau

      President Lincoln established the American Freedmen’s Inquiry Commission to provide an understanding of what it would take for a positive transition from slavery to freedom for African Americans. In 1865, the Freedmen’s Bureau was established and authorized for one...

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    • State Sponsored Eugenics

      Minnie Lee and Mary Alice Relf were 12 and 14 living in Montgomery, Alabama. They were the youngest of six children living in poverty. Their father was unable to work due to an automobile accident. The family received support from the local African American community....

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    • Story Telling for Change

      Growing up, he loved to listen to his father and visitors to their rural area of the state as they shared stories. He watched those who visited his family intently as they reacted to the stories. When he didn’t understand a story, he imagined a better way...

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    • Forcible Removal from Your Homeland

      Maude Jarrett was having a conversation with her granddaughter about her past. “We lived on a beautiful farm nestled between a chain of hills. I loved living on that farm. Our farm animals were my friends. Even when times were tough, our pantry was well stocked with...

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    • A Conflicted Life

      John Collier was born in Atlanta 1884. He lost both his father and his mother before he was 16. While at Columbia University, he developed a social philosophy focusing on the need to build a sense of community in society. When traveling in New Mexico, John spent a...

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    • A Forceful Voice

      It was thought to be an announcement about a major future development for the state. The Governor had invited Edwin Roche to give an address to the Legislature and his Cabinet. Roche was a state native and one of the most influential business leaders in America. The...

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