ipl-logo

Analysis Of Profiles In Courage By Wayne Morse

791 Words4 Pages

“Americans want to be liked--and Senators are no exception,” quipped President John F. Kennedy in his book, Profiles in Courage. Wayne Morse, a U.S. Senator from the state of Oregon, exemplifies a rare exception to that sentiment. He rarely went along with the crowd. He remained calm when waves of pressure crashed against him. Senator Morse exhibited profound political courage when he and Ernest Gruening stood as the sole Senators to oppose the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. Had other Senators joined Morse and Gruening, in their opposition of allowing President Johnson to arrogate Senate congressional power, perhaps the Vietnam War may have taken an entirely different course.
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution transpired after the Navy reported a series …show more content…

Morse recognized the severity of the government’s clandestineness and believed politicians fecklessly voted on issues while parts of the truth remained veiled. Morse saw this as an abomination to democracy and he himself sought to reform this malfeasance. On May 5th, 1964 Morse stated on Face the Nation, “Under our Constitution, all the President is, is the administrator of the people’s foreign policy. Those are his prerogatives, and I’m pleading that the American people be given the facts about that” (Morse). In the same interview he vehemently stated, “I have complete faith in the ability of the American people to follow the facts if you give them! And my charge against my government is that we’re not giving the American people the facts!” (Morse). Wayne Morse, one of only two who exhibited fortitude under immense constituent and colleague pressures, once stated, "...as long as I serve on this job I am going to serve my own master under obligation to no one" (Prince). During the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, Senator Morse had the forethought to realize that if the resolution passed, the United States would essentially create its own domino effect. By permitting the balances to go unchecked, the President could allow the United States to muddle in the affairs of an entirely unfamiliar nation, commence a war, and sacrifice thousands of American

Open Document