August 20, 2012Dear Sir,This is about Harry and Bess Truman and their time in the White House. This story is a far cry from the way US presidents operate today and his actions show how his concern and responsibility was for the people and not for his own personal gain. It is amazing how so many things that happen in the US are mirrored in our society today, and unfortunately, many of them are not for the better. In comparing the past and present leadership of our Premiers with that of President Harry Truman, the closest that I can come to someone being on par with him would have been Jack Sharpe. Here was a man that rode to the office of the Premier every day on his Mobylette as he did not see the need for the extravagance of a special car (even thought he was entitled to one), a police motorcade or bodyguards. He was a humble man and he worked for the people of Bermuda. The people of Bermuda did not work for him. Here is the story of Harry & Bess: ‘A Different America’ (www.historum.com/american-history/45497-harry-bess-truman-real-class)“Harry Truman was a different kind of president. He probably made as many or more important decisions regarding American history as any of the other 32 presidents preceding him. However, a measure of his greatness may rest on what he did after he left the White House. The only asset he had when he died was the house he lived in, which was in Independence, Missouri. His wife had inherited the house from her mother and father and other than their years in the White House, they lived their entire lives there. When he retired from office in 1952 his income was a US Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an ‘allowance’ and, later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year.After President Eisenhower was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home to Missouri by themselves. There was no Secret Service following them. When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating: “You don’t want me. You want the office of the President, and that doesn’t belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it’s not for sale.” Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing: “I don’t consider that I have done anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise.”Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale (cf. Illinois). Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed: “My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there’s hardly any difference! The author of this editorial adds “Dig him up and clone him” and I agree 100 percent with the author as the world could use a million or so like him as presidents, premiers, CEO, politicians and the like.PAT FERGUSONWarwick