Simple Reasons (PJW)

"Simple Reasons" is an excerpt from The Broken Dream Volume 1: America in the '50s, published in 1967.

Simple Reasons
One of the most common questions I receive while in office is "Why did run in the first place?" I get these questions from all over, from students first getting involved in politics, to potential opponents looking to get a leg up me, to journalists and writers like yourself. A lot of people don't understand why I ran. It was 1958. 28 years old, three years out of Harvard, four years out of the navy, my good friend Don Rumsfeld was trying to recruit me to join this new banking firm he did some side work for, which I had to respectfully decline since I had a nice job in the State Department...I was even approached a few times by the CIA, offering me a field job...now don't me wrong, I'm all for serving for my country, and spreading that patriotism and freedom across the globe. But at the time, the greatest threat to America was internal.

Racial tensions were threatening to spiral out of control. It started with Little Rock, spread elsewhere, cities like Watts and Oakland were going up in smoke...and nobody in charge was doing anything to spot. Wayne, sure he breathes fire, but his hands remained idle. The country was tearing apart at the seams, and those in charge did nothing. So that's partly the reason why I ran. Sometimes, when you want something changed you need to do it yourself.

So I took leave from the State Department and ran for representative in my home state of Pennsylvania. "Too young" is what my opponents called me. Now, those members of the State Department, they're great guys and they helped me out immensely. Connections are vastly important in life. Used a few of mine to help in the election, and well...I'm talking to you in the representatives office, am I not?

But back to the original question. I said sometimes you got to do things yourself, but the root of the problem is why you are doing it yourself. What makes you get out of bed, and decide enough is enough, that you can no longer leave this problem to those you entrusted to solve it? Well, it's simple reasons. The little things. Given the political climate at the time, my reason was quite simple: when I stepped outside in the morning, I had no desire to get blown up, or shot, or captured and tortured. America lacked law and order, and I needed some law and order.