Watching Ken Burns "The Roosevelts"

Last week PBS aired Ken Burns series "The Roosevelts" which was a revelation even to those who are knowledgeable about American History. It shows how the careers of Theodore, Franklin, and Eleanor Roosevelt were entwined with Progressivism, which a century ago was a bipartisan movement with adherents in both the Republican and Democratic Parties. The fortunes of the family were affected with the twists and turns of American politics in the early 20th century and the demise of Progressive Republicans after 1920. The Roosevelts were all complex and flawed people, to be sure, but overall they changed our lives for the better. The point is that history isn't made by "heroes" it is made by people. We must take charge of the situation ourselves and not keep waiting for someone to "make it right."

As Eleanor Roosevelt put it "You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”