DemDaily #tbt: “A Day That Will Live In Infamy”
If you were to compile a list of the most impactful Democratic leaders in the history of our nation, the number one spot would almost certainly be filled by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
He established a social safety net through Social Security and unemployment insurance to protect the most vulnerable Americans, helped lead us out of the Great Depression, and transformed the United States into a world power.
But of all the remarkable moments in his presidency, nothing is quite so iconic as the speech he delivered 74 years ago this week.
Roosevelt wrote the speech himself, dictating it just hours after learning of the attack.
"Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan."
With one speech, Roosevelt united the country around a common cause. Everyday Americans united as soldiers on the homefront and on the battlefield to support the war effort and the fight to save western civilization from the threat of facism.
Through his words and actions, Roosevelt inspired what would become know as the "greatest generation" to help save the world.
It's what being a Democrat is all about.
