My mother is a 95-year-old Edina resident. She grew up in Southern Illinois and, as a very young girl, fondly remembers "Uncle Bob," a freed slave who lived on their farm property near the Wabash River. This past November, she filled in the oval for Barack Obama. The historic eloquence of her vote was repeated throughout the country, reflecting a nation which has learned that in a diverse society, everyone brings gifts.

Unfortunately, this country's growth is often stunted because hard-learned lessons from the past are forgotten. My mother's first presidential vote was in 1936, when she cast her ballot for Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The vote was made at a time, like today, of great economic uncertainty.

On Jan. 20, 1937, President Roosevelt delivered his second inaugural address. His speech shows that, despite progress in many areas, much has remained the same. Below are excerpts of Roosevelt's inaugural address, which provides a context for today's turbulent economic and political climate.

When four years ago we met to inaugurate a president, the Republic, single-minded in anxiety, stood in spirit here. We dedicated ourselves to the fulfillment of a vision — to speed the time when there would be for all the people that security and peace essential to the pursuit of happiness.

. . . .

Instinctively we recognized a deeper need — the need to find through government the instrument of our united purpose to solve for the individual the ever-rising problems of a complex civilization. Repeated attempts at their solution without the aid of government had left us baffled and bewildered. ... To do this we knew that we must find practical controls over blind economic forces and blindly selfish men.

. . . .

We of the Republic sensed the truth that democratic government has innate capacity to protect its people against disasters once considered inevitable, to solve problems once considered unsolvable. We would not admit that we could not find a way to master economic epidemics just as, after centuries of fatalistic suffering, we had found a way to master epidemics of disease.

. . . .

In fact, in these last four years, we have made the exercise of all power more democratic; for we have begun to bring private autocratic powers into their proper subordination to the public's government. The legend that they were invincible — above and beyond the processes of a democracy — has been shattered. They have been challenged and beaten.

. . . .

In this process evil things formerly accepted will not be so easily condoned. Hard-headedness will not so easily excuse hardheartedness. We are moving toward an era of good feeling. But we realize that there can be no era of good feeling save among men of good will.

. . . .

Many voices are heard as we face a great decision. Comfort says, "Tarry a while." Opportunism says, "This is a good spot." Timidity asks, "How difficult is the road ahead?"

. . . .

But here is the challenge to our democracy: In this nation I see tens of millions of its citizens — a substantial part of its whole population — who at this very moment are denied the greater part of what the very lowest standards of today call the necessities of life.

I see millions of families trying to live on incomes so meager that the pall of family disaster hangs over them day by day.

I see millions denied education, recreation and the opportunity to better their lot and the lot of their children.

I see millions lacking the means to buy the products of farm and factory and by their poverty denying work and productiveness to many other millions.

I see one-third of a nation ill-housed, ill-clad, ill-nourished.

It is not in despair that I paint you that picture. I paint it for you in hope — because the Nation, seeing and understanding the injustice in it, proposes to paint it out.

. . . .

If I know aught of the spirit and purpose of our nation, we will not listen to Comfort, Opportunism, and Timidity. We will carry on.

"We will carry on" has now been replaced by "Yes we can." In coming weeks, this nation may have to retread ground familiar to most historians. My mother is living proof that a united country embracing bold leadership can and will persevere.

Robert Moilanen is a Minneapolis attorney who formerly served as a special assistant to Vice President Walter Mondale.

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