Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the 32nd president of the United States and the only person to be elected to office for four terms. He was at the helm of the federal government during two of the greatest crises of the twentieth century, the Great Depression and World War II. As such, the significance of his presidency can hardly be understated.
Popularly known by his initials, FDR, Roosevelt died in April 1945, at the age of 63. In Franklin D Roosevelt's Last Message to the American People, archived in the Library of Congress, he famously stated, “The only limit to our realisation of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith.”
What does the quote mean?
FDR’s final message contained his reflections on war and his call for peace for all of humankind. He highlighted the importance of destroying the “breeders of hatred,” namely the Nazis and their allies, and ensuring that there is “enduring peace.”
The former president of the United States considered war to be a “brutal, inhuman, and thoroughly impractical method of settling the differences between governments” that leads to the mass killing of people. He believed that it is not enough to end the war, but to take action so that it never again begins in the first place.
{{/usCountry}}The former president of the United States considered war to be a “brutal, inhuman, and thoroughly impractical method of settling the differences between governments” that leads to the mass killing of people. He believed that it is not enough to end the war, but to take action so that it never again begins in the first place.
{{/usCountry}}Doubts, fears, ignorance, and greed are what make people go to war in the first place, believed FDR. He insisted that humans must conquer them by any means, so that they may see a peaceful tomorrow. “The only limit to our realisation of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith.”
Why is this quote relevant today?
When FDR stated the aforementioned lines, the world was in great turmoil, and while efforts have been made to alleviate the situation, time has brought us once again to the brink of chaos and conflict.
Over the last few years, countries have waged wars against each other, civilians have revolted against their leaders in different parts of the globe, and those in positions of power have cracked down on ordinary folks with the might of the armed forces in their command. Violence has not increased only in power plays between the states and the people, but also among ordinary people who focus on mutual differences instead of similarities.
As such, FDR’s words ring truer than ever. For a better, peaceful tomorrow, we must act now without being limited by the doubts of today.