Love,
The Great Font of Knowledge
Q: When, where, and why did Harry Truman say "The Buck Stops Here"?
First, let's rule out the possibility that he was talking about a deer or providing lodging to his old country friends, as so generously offered in the comments section (ahem).
Here's the sign (you're welcome) and here's the story:
The phrase is a direct reference to the phrase "pass the buck" which came from Civil War times. A "buck" was an object in poker that was passed from one player to the next as a reminder of where the next deal would fall (because people would often cheat when they were the dealer). So when the dealer was done dealing he would "pass the buck". It probably came from the practice of using either a knife with a buckhorn (deer horn) handle or from using buckshot as a marker. Later on, they used silver dollars for that purpose, which is likely why a dollar is called a buck (bonus knowledge!) In any case, "passing the buck" came to mean avoiding responsibility.
So this guy named Fred Canfil, who was U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Missouri and a friend of Truman's saw a sign that said "The Buck Stops Here", which means the opposite of "pass the buck", that the person who is saying it takes ultimate responsibility, when he was visiting Oklahoma in 1945. He thought Truman would like it because Truman was a real no-nonsense kind of guy (we heard great stories about his relationship with his secret service guards and how he largely eluded or ignored them here in Independence). Canfil had the sign made and gave it to Truman, who loved it, and so it went on his desk (and in his speeches).
[Betsye Sargent, if you're reading this, we think you should get one of these signs!!]
And in the spirit of true one-upsmanship, We Know Something You Don't Know (nyah nyah). The famous sign on Truman's desk that said "The Buck Stops Here" also said something on the back! It referred to the famous skepticism of people in his home state (which is what the "Show Me" state means, even though you always thought it was an invitation to exhibitionism!)! Here you go... (then you'll know too, but ya know, we're generous in that way):
Q: What is a "Pioneer"?
Well, that's interesting, Phoebe and I were just discussing that in the car yesterday. What do you think a pioneer is? It would be interesting to read people's comments about that.
I told Phoebe that a pioneer is anyone who is striking out and going somewhere or doing something that few people, if any, have done before. So the people who went to settle the west were pioneers (in the sense that few WHITE people had gone there before). When people make new discoveries in the effort to cure cancer, they are pioneers. If someone has a new idea, she is a pioneer. The astronauts are pioneers. We had a great conversation about it (very timely question, Pat, and we'll be sure to post about the tribes whose ancestral lands we are covering) and welcome your thoughts (especially, though not exclusively, the kids who are reading.) What do YOU think?
4 comments:
Well, these posts about Harry Truman have put me in something of a thoughtful mood (don't know why; this happens sometimes; but maybe because it caused me to ponder the issue of personal responsibility). I'm wondering if there is some mention and/or description of his decision to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of WWII and his struggle with taking the responsibility for this (i.e., 'the buck stops here').
Thanks for all this great info...I look forward to getting home and reading your updates each evening, oh Great Font of Knowledge!
All very interesting--I particularly like the back of the plaque, and the info on the "Show Me State." But you know--Betsye would say that it's inappropriate to go "nyah nyah" (then again, it's summer vacation, so what the heck!).
Pioneers? Hmmm...I agree with your description of what a pioneer is. In my view, and with some serious exceptions in the case of how the Native American tribes were dealt with by the US government during the Oregon Trail days, pioneers are often very heroic, risk-taking people, who believe in something strongly and set out to do something about it before it becomes popular.
This is what I found on Wikipedia about 'pioneer':
"A pioneer (from Old French peon "foot soldier") is one who has travelled from his or her homeland by choice to live in a "new" land or colony, in particular referring to the American Old West."
Pioneer also refers to "a series of unmanned NASA planetary exploration probes launched between 1958 and 1978"; "a plant adapted to the extreme environment of an otherwise barren location"; "A Jew who was active in the development of the land of Israel in the period from 1881 to 1947"; and "A Japanese manufacturer of electronics"; and more. To read for yourself: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneers
I'm finding the fur trade an interesting parallel to the Silk Road. If you find anything during your trip, would you let me/us know?
Looking forward to more travel news!
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