Opposing Viewpoints Of Franklin D. Roosevelt And Charles Lindbergh

In the 1940s, America was faced with a great decision, one that would affect not only the United States, but potentially the world. To enter war, or not to enter war? That was the question. Whether ‘tis more patriotic in the Americas to “sacrifice…normal interests in life in order to insure the safety and the welfare of [America]” or to take arms against a world of troubles, and by opposing end them (Lindbergh, and a little Shakespeare). Franklin D. Roosevelt and Charles Lindbergh represented the two sides of this argument: one strongly favored war while the other thought it would cause turmoil. Although the two had opposing viewpoints, each used the spirit and theme of patriotism in attempts to convince Americans to take hold of their viewpoint

Roosevelt knew that the people of the United States were split on their opinions of war, so it was necessary for him to go about this strategically. During the time after the First World War, American pride was high, and the blood that pumped through the veins of each American was not only red, but white and blue as well. Roosevelt used this high sense of patriotism to his advantage, and framed his speech around it. Throughout his speech, he outlined “the foundations of a healthy and strong democracy,” “personal sacrifice,” and the promise of a “world founded upon four essential human freedoms.” Democracy, sacrifice, and freedom were words that mobilized the Americans, words that spoke to their sense of patriotism. When Roosevelt called for personal sacrifice, stating that “We must all prepare to make the sacrifices that the emergency demands,” he rehashed the sense of sacrifice and patriotic spirit that Americans could recall from their experience with World War I. Roosevelt even went as far as declaring America as “the great arsenal of democracy.” By framing the necessity of war as a necessity in maintaining democracy, and therefore maintaining patriotism, Roosevelt strategically targeted the

Lindbergh was the spokesman of the American First committee, an organization that was opposed to American intervention in the war. Unlike Roosevelt, Lindbergh’s purpose in his speech was to dissuade Americans from the potential war. Like Roosevelt, Lindbergh spoke of “American ideals and way of life” throughout his speech. He, too, made an effort to make American’s red, white, and blue blooded heart pump faster when he stated that “The United States has become the greatest nation in the world.” Lindbergh mirrored Roosevelt’s idea of sacrifice, declaring that “there are times when we must sacrifice our normal interests in life in order to insure the safety and the welfare of our nation.” Understanding that democracy was an essential component to patriotism, Lindbergh spoke directly of democracy in his speech. He was very blunt in his saying that “If the principles of democracy mean anything at all, that is reason enough for us to stay out. If we are forced into a war…we will have proved democracy such a failure at home that there will be little used fighting for it