LBJ Lives On

Walking into the library, I spotted a statue on a Native American on a horse that was presented to President Johnson in 1968 and told him " in honor and memory of Mr. Sam, your friend and mine." This to me represented the friendliness of Mr. President, where everyone was his friend.

This piece was called "The Scalp" and was created by Frederic Remington. Remington spent a lot of time in the wilderness, and through his art we can see what life was like on the plains.

Johnson was a wonderful leader who practiced what he preached. During his time in office he took time off to serve his country by serving in the military. He took pride in his country and demonstrated how a ideal citizen should act. General Douglas MacArthur later presented him with a silverstar award which made President Johnson very proud and sensitive of the service many citizens give their lives for.

Johnson was aware of justice and what was right. During his time in office he implemented many measures that would benefit many people. I want to learn from him because it is one thing to lead, but another to know how to maintain the balance among different groups of people. He sent troops to South Korea to protect them again the North Korean invasion. Just this past week I read about a recent bombing in South Korea by North Korea. There needs to be some help in protecting the innocent and intervening from such horrific attacks.

Another example of where justice was served was when a Mexican American went to serve in the US Army and died overseas, he was not treated fairly in his funeral service. Therefore, Mexican American communities protested against the unamerican action at funeral homes. President Johnson wrote a humble reply in return acknowledging that the "old injusticed against the forgotten and the disadvantaged [would] be eliminated and the quality of life improved for everybody." Those were his overall goals to accomplish during his time as president.

My most valued exhibit was the temporary installment the library had about Walter Cronkite who just recently past. He had so many characteristics of the proactive leader I want to become. He was always eager to learn, constantly reading to absorb new material. He witnessed a lot of history in his lifetime, but was always focused on what was just. One of his main focuses was a commitment to civil rights.

**All Images taken by author