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Letters to the Editor

In troubled times, it takes resolve to see things not as they are, but as they might be

Back in 1968, America was living through some awfully violent moments. The year started off with the capture by North Korea of the USS Pueblo and its crew on Jan. 23. By the final release of the Pueblo’s crew members on Dec. 31, America experienced the assassinations of both the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, which took place 60 days apart. The summer was long and hot. In cities like Washington, D.C., riots followed King’s killing. The war in Vietnam took a turn for the worse. Each night, we watched as the news showed endless body bags coming home from Southeast Asia.

People were angry, and they stayed that way for most of the year.

Could things ever be worse? Some thought not. However, things were pretty bad in 2008, and they still are today. Some say we are living in the worst times since 1933 and the Great Depression.

People want to be delivered from the way things are. As I read Howard Manly’s front page story (“President Obama: RFK’s prediction finally comes true,” Jan. 22, 2009), I read over Bobby Kennedy’s quote; “We are not going to accept the status quo.” I re-read it several times more. Status quo!

Today, we do indeed have some great expectations with our new president, Barack Obama. There is hope again that we will move forward. This is indeed the “winter of our hardship,” as President Obama stated in his inaugural address. We are discontent, and we are hoping for happier days.

But President Obama can’t do it alone. His colleagues in Washington, D.C., must stand together in this hour of our history. We, the people, must support our leaders in doing what is right. We must demand movement toward resolving our financial hardships.

We have begun anew. We survived 1968, and we will survive today. New leadership means new life, new focus and new resolve.

Things may still get worse, but we are on the road again, moving toward resolution.

Sal Giarratani
Roslindale