April 4, 1949: NATO

The founding of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is surely one of the world’s successes. After the carnage of centuries of warfare in Europe, European nations and the United States bound themselves in an association of mutual protection. Now, instead of wars among themselves, Europe and the U.S. have enjoyed decades of peace and economic growth.

However, much has changed in other ways, bringing us new challenges.

Examine the picture of eleven people surrounding President Harry S. Truman as he signs the Washington Treaty, forming NATO. Every one in the picture appears to be a white male.

Today such a picture would surely include women and non-white representatives. The left out people today are more likely to include those left behind by poverty, lack of family responsibility, and poor educational skills.

Much effort was invested in changing our society to allow better chances for those not represented in that treaty picture. We need efforts today in taking care of our current left out people.

Who are today’s left out? Children in desperate situations, with no caring adults. Teenagers who, for whatever reason, struggle with not belonging. Young people who need a sense of purpose strong enough to avoid drugs and ill-advised relationships. Women with young children who lack the resources to care for them. Americans who have fallen prey to easy fixes and need support to escape the drug culture.

We are one of the wealthiest nations the world has ever known. Resources to deal with our citizens’ needs is not the issue. The issue is the use of a just portion of our resources to meet those needs.