The Great Depression swept across the nation some 90 years ago, creating a level of despair that nearly crushed America.
Standing mute and dumbfounded on a breadline, tens of thousands became "forgotten men"; stripped of their jobs, their dignity, and their future. Washington was either indifferent or inept in responding to a calamity that threatened the very foundation of the republic.
Some of these forgotten men sought refuge in God, solace in the Bible, and prayed for salvation or, at the very least, a pathway that would lead them to a better life.
Others looked to a vibrant, dynamic president, who would inspire those victims of a national calamity that we are still a nation capable of greatness with the ability to rescue those forgotten men from devastating unemployment.
They found that "savior" in the form of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose confidence in America resonated with his fellow citizens of every background in every community. He lifted up the forgotten men and reminded them that, as Americans, there was a resolute nation to build and they were the people to do it.
Today we have a new generation of "forgotten men" – and women. They too have lost faith in a Washington that seems to have dissolved into a dysfunctional collection of politicians far removed from the difficulties facing our citizens. Of equal concern is Washington's seeming indifference to a crushing national debt of $32.6 trillion that threatens our nation's economy.
So today it is no small wonder that many of our forgotten citizens are looking for a savior, either in a house of worship, or on the November ballot, who will help chart a course that will raise up those of us alarmed about an America under assault from abroad and at home.
Lawrence Kadish serves on the Board of Governors of Gatestone Institute.
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