American Freedoms by Donald M Bishop
American Diplomacy, 2015
For Foreign Service Officers, the American principle of "separation of church and state" need not... more For Foreign Service Officers, the American principle of "separation of church and state" need not inhibit discussion of religion's role in American society, in other countries, or in international affairs. The American norm is religious liberty, always and everywhere a goal of American foreign policy. Education on religious liberty begins with the First Amendment to the Constitution, the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom (1786), and President George Washington's letters to religious congregations (1789-1793). Discussions call for clear word choices – "establishment," "toleration," "tolerance," "freedom to worship," "freedom of worship," "freedom of conscience," and "freedom of religion." "Religious freedom" or "religious liberty" is the American standard, not mere "toleration."
RealClear Religion, 2026
To explain American religious liberty to those I met overseas in the Foreign Service, I found it ... more To explain American religious liberty to those I met overseas in the Foreign Service, I found it helpful to tell stories – beginning with Benjamin Franklin, Roland Gittelsohn, and George W. Bush.
Academic Questions, 2024
The neglected 1940 film "The Mortal Storm" and the 1938 novel by Phyllis Bottome provide insights... more The neglected 1940 film "The Mortal Storm" and the 1938 novel by Phyllis Bottome provide insights into antisemitism then -- and now.
Shaping Nations for Conflict and War: Propaganda, Disinformation, and Strategic Communications. Implications for Policymakers, 2024
In his 1941 State of the Union Address, President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed freedom of speech... more In his 1941 State of the Union Address, President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed freedom of speech, freedom to Worship, Freedom from Fear, and Freedom from Want as “four essential human freedoms.” His administration messaged the Four Freedoms as war aims at home and abroad, but with limited success. In early 1943, however, the publication of four paintings by the artist Norman Rockwell prompted an overwhelming public response. The Treasury Department centered the paintings in a major, successful domestic information campaign, and a parallel campaign for international audiences was conducted by the Office of War Information (OWI). Both campaigns left a legacy. the Four Freedoms were included in the preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948.
The Foundation: Marine Corps University Foundation Magazine, 2019
The sesquicentennial of the U.S. Constitution in 1937 celebrated the "Four Freedoms" (religion, s... more The sesquicentennial of the U.S. Constitution in 1937 celebrated the "Four Freedoms" (religion, speech, press, assembly) in the First Amendment. President Franklin Roosevelt used a different list in his State of the Union Address of 1941 -- Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear. The 1943 publication of the four famous paintings by Norman Rockwell in The Saturday Evening Post gave "the Four Freedoms" a strong public boost, and they became shorthand for the war aims of the Allies. Essays by Booth Tarkington, Stephen Vincent Benet, Carlos Bulosan, and Will Durant were published with the paintings. The Office of War Information used the paintings in domestic and international information campaigns. Vasily Gatov wrote that during the Cold War the U.S. "'personality' was based around the concept of freedom" and the Four Freedoms were the "roots of this freedom narrative."
The Public Diplomacy Blog, 2018
The "Four Freedoms" proclaimed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his 1941 State of the Union ... more The "Four Freedoms" proclaimed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his 1941 State of the Union address -- Freedom to Worship, Freedom of Speech, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear -- would in time become shorthand for the war aims of the Allies in the Second World War. This article reviews how the President's words were elaborated in speeches, articles, sermons, books, music, and paintings, and how a public-private campaign brought them to millions at home and abroad. The Office of War Information played a key role.
Amazon.com reviews, 2007
Reviews "Norman Rockwell's Four Freedoms: Images that inspire a nation" by Stuart Murray and Jame... more Reviews "Norman Rockwell's Four Freedoms: Images that inspire a nation" by Stuart Murray and James McCabe (Berkshire House, 1993; Grammercy, 1998). Nearly every Norman Rockwell coffee table book includes his famous "Four Freedoms" paintings. Most tell the basic story behind the works-how the artist was inspired by President Franklin Roosevelt's State of the Union speech of 1941, how he sought without success to find sponsorship by a government agency, and how the paintings were originally published in four issues of Saturday Evening Post magazine in 1943. This generously illustrated volume by Stuart Murray and James McCabe tells a much more complete-and much more fascinating-story. The book also includes the four essays published with the four paintings when they appeared in the Saturday Evening Post magazine in 1943 -- by Booth Tarkington, Carlos Bulosan, Stephen Vincent Benet, and Will Durant -- and five more essays by John Frohnmayer, Theodore H. Evans, James MacGregor Burns, Brian Urquhart, and William J. vanden Heuvel.
American Purpose, 2022
The old list of "Seven Wonders of the World" honored great structures of antiquity. In this cent... more The old list of "Seven Wonders of the World" honored great structures of antiquity. In this century, a new list of Seven Wonders should celebrate the spirit of enterprise and improvement in free societies -- the grocery store, the land-grant universities, the interstate highway system, copyrights and patents, the fast food restaurant, insurance, and religious liberty.
Memorial Day Address, Arlington National Cemetery, 2015
"Soldiers of the Grand Army, now tenting above with your onetime foes! Now you are blue and gray... more "Soldiers of the Grand Army, now tenting above with your onetime foes! Now you are blue and gray together, white and black together, for with the passage of time, the progress of our country, shame that men and women in our own land once wore chains, admiration of what Americans of every origin have achieved, and above all, with heaven’s grace, all now know the outcome of the war was right, that men and women are born for freedom, and we – Americans – are joined for a common future.
[Remarks at the Traditional Memorial Day Ceremony, Arlington National Cemetery, Tanner Amphitheater, May 30, 2015]
The Falcon Footnote, 2022
An interview with retired USAF Brigadier General Carl W. Reddel who served as Executive Director ... more An interview with retired USAF Brigadier General Carl W. Reddel who served as Executive Director of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission from 2001 to 2020. Created by Congress in 2000, the Commission was tasked to bring the national memorial to President Dwight D. Eisenhower from concept to reality. Reddel discussed the Commission, architect Frank Gehry, counsel from retired Army General Andrew Goodpaster, and themes in the Eisenhower legacy including security, democratic freedom, and public service.
Provocations, 2007
Advice for "young altruists" hoping for international careers: do not fail to consider business ... more Advice for "young altruists" hoping for international careers: do not fail to consider business or service in the armed forces. The role of business and enterprise in economic and social development is sometimes undervalued, but it is substantial. "Young altruists" might do more good in a business career than going from job to job with the NGO's. Service in the armed forces includes assignments overseas. Individuals who accept a lifetime commitment to another society can have more impact than those who visit for short-term projects and development interventions. Look for a vocation, a calling. The essay draws examples from Nigeria, Bangladesh, and China. [The essay originally appeared online in Provocations: A Journal from the Trinity Forum, but the journal has been discontinued.]
The Public Diplomacy Blog, 2018
Public Diplomacy is much about communication, advocacy, and appeals. D-Day, June 6, 1944, and Pr... more Public Diplomacy is much about communication, advocacy, and appeals. D-Day, June 6, 1944, and President Roosevelt's radio prayer to the American people allow us to take a professional look at public communication on “The Longest Day.” The President was heard by as many as 100 million Americans. He sought a full engagement of the nation’s deepest values and religious emotions.
Amazon.com Reviews, 2024
This title brought together three 1952 lectures given at the University of Virginia by the Presid... more This title brought together three 1952 lectures given at the University of Virginia by the President of Harvard University from 1933 to 1953, James Bryant Conant (1893-1978). Decades later, those interested in education and education policy, especially at the secondary level, can still profit by reading this old book.
Public Diplomacy Council Blog, 2018
Reviews "We Stand United and Other Radio Scripts" by Stephen Vincent Benet (New York, Farrar and ... more Reviews "We Stand United and Other Radio Scripts" by Stephen Vincent Benet (New York, Farrar and Rinehart, 1945). After the Second World War began in Europe, Benét gave himself over to what he called “propaganda work,” which continued until his death from exhaustion in 1943. Perhaps most influential were his radio scripts, most written under the auspices of the Council for Democracy. Gathered together, they were published in 1945.
Amazon.com review, 2013
Reviews "The Story of the Constitution 1787-1937" by Sol Bloom (1937). The book by Representativ... more Reviews "The Story of the Constitution 1787-1937" by Sol Bloom (1937). The book by Representative Sol Bloom was prepared in 1937 for the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution. The book gathered a great deal of useful reference information on the Constitution. There have been so many developments in the understanding of American history and in Constitutional law, however, that reading this volume is like watching and old B&W move in the age of HD and Blu-Ray.
Memorial Day Address, Fanwood, New Jersey, 2001
When nations marched at the command of emperors, the fuehrer and il duce, and the commissars, Ame... more When nations marched at the command of emperors, the fuehrer and il duce, and the commissars, Americans from towns like Fanwood set aside careers, families, and ambitions to oppose them. They served in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, and the Cold War. "All the wonders of modern life have not decisively moderated the passions and greed and failings of mankind. The three malevolent philosophies that made the last century the century of blood have been quelled, but there exist leaders and nations who loathe our country and our system of governance. They covet weapons of mass destruction."
Amazon.com reviews, 2015
Review of the "Citizenship" handbook in the Boy Scouts of America's Merit Badge Series, 1960. In... more Review of the "Citizenship" handbook in the Boy Scouts of America's Merit Badge Series, 1960. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Boy Scouts of America awarded merit badges for Citizenship in the Home, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, and World Brotherhood. This single 96-page pamphlet provided an outline to prep for all four badges. Today it is most valuable for how it captured the concept of citizenship before the tumultuous decade we now call “the sixties.” Today, a reader will notice omissions.
Amazon.com Reviews, 2008
Review of "An Education for Our Time" by Josiah Bunting III (Regnery, 1998). This epistolary nov... more Review of "An Education for Our Time" by Josiah Bunting III (Regnery, 1998). This epistolary novel outlines the principles and goals for a new, 5-year undergraduate education. (Two of the years would be spent off campus.) Bunting lays out a philosophy of leadership for a republic, virtue in a free society, the dignified rather than the rich retirement, the role of military service in developing citizens and leaders, the outdoor life, and history's role in an education for leadership. He examines the ideal campus, calendar and curriculum, and the recruitment of teachers and mentors. He walks the reader through his convictions about campus life and how older fundamentals should be recovered.
Remarks, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Camp Meeting, 2015
Twenty-three percent of the soldiers of the Union Army were immigrants. An incident on the secon... more Twenty-three percent of the soldiers of the Union Army were immigrants. An incident on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg -- the chaplain of the Irish Brigade, Father William Corby, giving general absolution to its soldiers before they entered the killing ground of the Wheatfield -- suggests that all Americans inherit from them and other immigrants a legacy of memories and responsibilities. It is surely licit to debate immigration policy, but recent proposals to exclude or bar immigration are unworthy.
Foreign Service Journal, 2014
Reviews the 1949 film "State Department File 649," directed by Sam Newfield. For the U.S. Foreig... more Reviews the 1949 film "State Department File 649," directed by Sam Newfield. For the U.S. Foreign Service, "State Department File 649" is our cinematic showcase, William Lundigan our star, and Virginia Bruce our Best Actress. It portrays a small consulate team in north China -- opposing a warlord takeover of the area -- as "unsung and unhonored heroes."
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American Freedoms by Donald M Bishop
[Remarks at the Traditional Memorial Day Ceremony, Arlington National Cemetery, Tanner Amphitheater, May 30, 2015]