Four Freedoms & Beyond

FOUR FREEDOMS & BEYOND

What's

What Do You Think About January 6?

A speech by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on January 6, 1941, not January 6, 2022, inspired the Four Freedoms and Beyond project in Princeton earlier this year.

A speech by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on January 6, 1941 , not January 6, 2022, inspired the Four Freedoms and Beyond project in Princeton earlier this year.

Our forefathers and mothers certainly understood that their freedoms were under fire.

What’s This All About?

At the outset of World War II, He described four essential human freedoms : Freedom from fear, Freedom from Want, Freedom of Worship, and Freedom of Speech.

At the outset of World War II, he described four essential human freedoms: Freedom from Fear, Freedom from Want, Freedom of Worship, and Freedom of Speech.

Iconic American artist Norman Rockwell was asked to depict what Roosevelt talked about. Rockwell’s images of the Four Freedoms and American culture inspired millions to ponder the meaning of subjects like democracy, patriotism, character, and values.

Iconic American artist Norman Rockwell was asked to depict what Roosevelt talked about. Rockwell's images of the Four Freedoms and American culture inspired millions to ponder the meaning of subjects like democracy, patriotism, character, and values.

Photographer Maggie Meiners’ “Rediscovering Rockwell” exhibit at the Princeton Public Library in May and June focused further discussion in churches, the Grace Theater of Festival 56, Logan Junior High, and Freedom House.

doesn’t have to be that way. As Ms. Meiners and Mr. Rockwell have shown us, we can rediscover what allows us to live more at peace with today's America.

regarding behavior. We make choices based on habit as well as emotion and information.

We probably will not agree on many issues addressed in these pages. We hope that the mix of ideas and images will help us all get a better sense of who we were, who we are and, equally important who we want to be.

Social scientists and marketers know belief and knowledge are not the same

Photographer Maggie Meiners' "Rediscovering Rockwell" exhibit at the Princeton Public Library in May and June focused further discussion in churches, the Grace Theater of Festival 56, Logan Junior High, and Freedom House. We hope the discussion will continue.

Social scientists and marketers know belief and knowledge are not the same regarding behavior. We make choices based on habit as well as emotion and information

when that information is incorrect, intentionally or not, it’s no wonder we’re not getting along very well. But it doesn’t have to be that way. As Ms. Meiners and Mr. Rockwell have shown us, we

can rediscover what allows us to live more at peace with today’s America. We probably will not agree on many issues addressed in these pages. We hope that the mix of ideas and images will help us all get a better sense of who we were, who we are and, equally important — who we want to be.

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But times have changed. With the seemingly uncontrollable, turbo charged progress of technology and knowledge, the times we now live in profoundly differ from the America that Rockwell celebrated Maggie Meiners’ photographs, updating Rockwell’s images, ask these questions: how do we differ from those who lived back then? How do the four freedoms affect us now?

Our forefathers and mothers certainly understood that their freedoms were under fire. But times have changed. With the seemingly uncontrollable, turbocharged progress of technology and knowledge, the times we now live in profoundly differ from the America that Rockwell celebrated.

Maggie Meiners’ photographs, updating Rockwell’s images, ask these questions: how do we differ from those who lived back then? How do the four freedoms affect us now?

Our grandparents lived through the depression, World War II, the Korean War and the cold war. Then there was black and white TV, rock and roll, Disneyland, soda shops, suburbs, the civil rights movement, Vietnam and the tumult of the 1960s. The pace of progress shifted into overdrive.

Our grandparents lived through the depression, World War II, the Korean War and the cold war. Then there was black and white TV, rock and roll, Disneyland, soda shops, suburbs, the civil rights movement, Vietnam and the tumult of the 1960s. The pace of progress shifted into overdrive.

In 2022, we see much, much more than before. Familiar social norms have been changing so fast that we can’t keep up. Many of us feel whiplashed by the expectations and demands of people who rarely had much of a public voice. So...

In 2022, we see much, much more than before.

Familiar social norms have been changing so fast that we can’t keep up. Many of us feel whiplashed by the expectations and demands of people who rarely had much of a public voice.

The people depicted by Rockwell’s Freedom of Worship in the mid-1900s were quite different from today.

AMERICA THE GREAT, AMERICA THE DREAM

OPINION

Let America Be America Again

By Langston Hughes, July 1936

Let America be America again.

Let it be the dream it used to be.

Let it be the pioneer on the plain Seeking a home where he himself is free. (America never was America to me.)

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed— Let it be that great strong land of love Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America to me.)

O, let my land be a land where Liberty Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath, But opportunity is real, and life is free, Equality is in the air we breathe.

(There’s never been equality for me, Nor freedom in this “homeland of the free.”)

Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark? And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?

I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart, I am the Negro bearing slavery’s scars. I am the red man driven from the land, I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek— And finding only the same old stupid plan Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.

I am the young man, full of strength and hope, Tangled in that ancient endless chain Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land! Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need! Of work the men! Of take the pay! Of owning everything for one’s own greed!

I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil. I am the worker sold to the machine. I am the Negro, servant to you all. I am the people, humble, hungry, mean— Hungry yet today despite the dream. Beaten yet today—O, Pioneers!

I am the man who never got ahead, The poorest worker bartered through the years ...

To read the whole poem and listen to the audio version recorded by Princeton journalist Nick Young, visit fourfreedomsandbeyond.com

On July 3 this year, a full-page black and white ad appeared in the New York Times. The headline read, “WE ARE THE FOUNDERS: An open letter to all who believe in democracy.” It began with these words: “Imagine our families are safe, we have everything we need, our communities are thriving, we all belong, we honor and respect each other’s humanity, we are all free, and there is enough for everyone. This is not a fairy tale, but a glimpse at the future we can create together.”

vision that includes all — even those with a different vision for our future.”

Here in rural middle America, the words looked inspirational, like the rhetoric of other groups who have been trumpeting the value of “honoring those who came before us to make those rights and freedoms possible.”

It’s as though the writers of that open letter did so in direct response to both Langston Hughes’s poem and the “Make America Great

This message attracted attention like many other full-page ads in an election year. It invited readers to “join us in the practice of freedom — a space of dreaming — with an understanding of your true power and birthright, not only to dream to make those dreams a reality.”

“We know that it’s our birthright to advance a more just and fair

Again” slogan that has captured the attention of so many of our friends and neighbors.

Some readers visiting the We Are The Founders’ website are likely to strongly disagree with many of the strategies to reach the goals identified by the organization.

Continued on page 7

“I like to think our grand democratic experiment, though flawed, doggedly aspires to something better for all. We began with slavery but fought to extinguish it. Women were denied the vote. It was corrected. When fascism threatened the entire free world, we defeated it.”Who Said It?

At the Smithsonian National Museum of National History, The Four Freedoms posters still express the values that built America’s strength.

Even our ideas about patriotism are changing.

Long before there was MAGA, there was this. Read carefully.

“This is not a fairy tale, but a glimpse at the future we can create together.”

“Captain Carrie” by Maggie Meiners

WHO ARE WE ?

Who We Were Then

In the 1980s, Steven Glenn, author of Developing Capable Young People, observed some trends that most of us have not fully grasped, even now. In 1930, a child spent three to four hours a day with extended family — parents and children plus grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, most of whom lived close by.

This involvement included working together, discussing items of interest with other generations and playing together, which required personal and imaginative interaction.

Today’s extended family has been reduced to what we now call the nuclear family: parents and children. Grandparents, aunts, and uncles now typically live somewhere else.

Within nuclear families with two parents at home, the interaction was reduced to 14 ½ minutes per day by the 1980s. Of those 14 ½ minutes, at least 12 were used in one-way negative communications — parents correcting children for things done wrong.

By 1950, according to the census, 70% of all Americans lived in an urban environment and only 30 percent on farms. This was a complete reversal of statistics!

Who We Are Now

By 1970, 90% of Americans lived in an urban environment, and even those living in a rural environment lived an urban lifestyle. With all its good effects, television had also brought into the average home attitudes, values and behaviors utterly foreign to those exhibited by the parents.

The fact that TV became the hub of social and leisure time in our society had even greater significance. In 1970 the average American watched television for five hours a day.

Add computers, the internet, email, social media, cell phones…and easy access to alcohol, addictive drugs, mass marketing of popular culture, and lifestyles that minimize family and community interactions.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the average American spends at least seven hours per day looking at a screen.

Media of all kinds, however, are not the only influence on our minds. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, terrorism from within and elsewhere in the world, divisive politics, and the adverse effects of climate change further stimulate our anxiety.

IMAGE

WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?

Got a piece of paper and something to write with? Here’s a little exercise you might find interesting.

To the right are ten words. Write down the first thing that comes to mind when you hear each word. Don’t worry. Your answers are for you only. Limit yourself to five seconds for each word.

You might be surprised by your first reactions. What you thought of first gives a pretty good hint of your perspective … and beliefs. The fact is, these words can mean very different things to very different people. No wonder we’re having a hard time talking about them!

Remember, what you write down is the first thing that comes to mind, not an answer that you write after thinking about it. The point is to be honest.

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Socially, we seek out and spend time with like-minded people. This is not a bad thing. In fact, according to recent neuroscientific research, humans are “hardwired” for it. But when we only seek information

that align with our beliefs and dismiss or ignore whatever challenges those beliefs, we do ourselves a disservice. We can combat this confirmation bias by purposefully connecting with those who disagree

“The Gossips” by Maggie Meiners

THANK YOU

midwestpartners.org

OPINION, Continued from page 2

YOU

To me, as editor of this publication, that list rang some of the same bells I was surprised to find in Patriot’s Toolbox: One hundred principles for restoring our freedom and prosperity, published by The Heartland Institute.

I agreed with many more points of both groups than I disagreed with.

The New York Times is not likely to be the medium of choice for anyone looking for simple answers for the complexities of 2022 and the future.

Opinion pieces and ads like those of WE ARE THE FOUNDERS can shine a light on what’s possible. And knowing about “the other side(s)” of the arguments we often avoid can offer hope for The quality of life for “us” all. —Rick Brooks

For more useful resources, see "Who Do We Want to Be?" on page 8.

We especially want to thank artist Maggie Meiners, the primary reason this project exists. And Pete Shively, Nick Young, Chris Yeazel, Jessica Gray, David Gray, Sheila Harrison, Jim Van Fleet, Lindsey Vaughn, Ron McCutchan, Margaret Martinkus, Julie Wayland and Princeton Public Library staff and Friends, Pam Horowitz, Kevin Shyne, Victoria Yepson, Charlie Gebeck, Nedda Simon, Festival 56, Adam Webber and Open Prairie Unity Church, Trisha Schafer and staff at Freedom House, Lex Poppens at the Bureau County Historical Society, and hundreds of participants at Four Freedoms and Beyond events. This publication was designed by Kayla Greenwell, an ABC AmeriCorps member serving North Central Illinois through Midwest Partners.

Write to use at info@fourfreedomsanndbe yond.com at visit our wesite.

choice for anyone looking for simple answers for the complexities of 2022 and the future.

The goal of the Four Freedoms and Beyond project is to encourage collaborative, meaningful discussions on common American values while fostering empathy and understanding. The views and opinions expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of the Interactivity Foundation, Illinois Humanities Council, Starved Rock Country Community Foundation, Shaw Media or other groups collaborating with Midwest Partners.

To me, as editor of this publication, that list rang some of the same bells I was surprised to find in “The Patriot’s Toolbox: One hundred principles for restoring our freedom and prosperity,” published by The Heartland Institute.

I agreed with many more points of both groups than I disagreed with.

The New York Times is not likely to be the medium of

n FOR MORE USEFUL RESOURCES, see “Who Do We Want to Be?”on page 8.

Opinion pieces and ads like those of We Are The Founders can shine a light on what’s possible. And knowing about “the other side(s)” of the arguments we often avoid can offer hope for the quality of life for “us” all.

— Rick Brooks

n WRITE TO US at info@ fourfreedomsanndbeyond.com and visit our website.

The goal of the Four Freedoms and Beyond project is to encourage collaborative, meaningful discussions on common American values while fostering empathy and understanding. The views and opinions expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of the Interactivity Foundation, Illinois Humanities Council, Starved Rock Country Community Foundation, Shaw Media or other groups collaborating with Midwest Partners.

WHO DO WE WANT TO BE?

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Between confirmation bias (your perspective on what you see, hear and might repeat), biased sources of misinformation and creative marketing, it’s not easy these days to determine what’s real or important. Some tips that have emerged from the Four Freedoms and Beyond project:

n BE AWARE of what sounds too good or “out there” to be true.

n TAKE CARE when you rely on the same sources for “news,” political arguments, rumors, or entertainment.

n WHEN IN DOUBT, CHECK IT OUT!

Civics education and media literacy can help. And fact-checking can make a difference between your “truth,” someone else’s beliefs and hucksters’. Look for proof.

Doing the Work and Bridging

To bridge differences, you usually need to start by accepting that you don’t have all the answers or a monopoly on the truth. Bridging is not about persuasion or coercion…It’s about understanding. It involves inner work, not just action. It’s sometimes about small shifts. One of the most comprehensive resources to do this is The Bridging Differences Playbook from the Greater Good Science Center. Here is a short list of organizations who are doing this work well:

THE ILLINOIS CIVIC HUB: People of all ages —citizens and noncitizens, voters and non-voters alike, can benefit. The Hub has lesson plans, toolkits, webinars and inperson conferences. It offers proven practices, model programs, and a wide range of resources for non-school groups and schools.

BRAVER ANGELS: A citizen’s alliance uniting “to depolarize America.” Workshops, debates, 1 to 1 conversations, library, book and film clubs, podcasts and more. braverangels.org

STORY CORPS’ ONE SMALL STEP: Pairs people who don’t agree for one-on-one conversations to spark meaningful listening and to remind people of the humanity of all of us, and that it’s hard to hate up close.

a more complete list visit

Did you know?

How many hours per day does

American spend listening, watching, reading,

consuming mass media?

Test yourself. Find the answer, as well as other quizzes, at fourfreedomsandbeyond.com