As Coolidge himself once said, “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. The ability to persist in all of life’s endeavours demonstrates an individual's strength and morale during difficult times. Through leadership and even in my daily life, I had to endure through battles such as right vs wrong, and fight vs. flight. However, valuing integrity, just like Calvin Coolidge did in the Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge, is what is most important in becoming a true leader. Persistence can come in many forms, depending on what one chooses to persist in. For Coolidge, it was his persistence in his character and unwavering quality of being honest , having strong moral principles and uprightness: his integrity. Richard Norton Smith; an American historian and author specializing in U.S. presidents and other political figures, summarized Calvin Coolidge in this light: “Not only did Calvin Coolidge have character, Coolidge “was” character.” Even as a young child, Coolidge was able to distinguish right between wrong- which ultimately influenced his conservative presidency. When his father tried to steer him towards a career as a pharmacist, to which Calvin replied, “But father, don’t pharmacies sell alcohol?”, this was the one …show more content…
Looking at the politics of today, this quality is severely lacking and the whole country suffers because of it. Not only is dysfunction the only quality that is persistence, but it appears very few care for the people. From families trying to stay in the country due to immigration to others fighting for their lives mattering, the moral principles within integrity are needed to remind America what it stands for- life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Unlike Coolidge, our officials consistently put party and self before people. However, the nation needs to realize that we, the people, need to be persistent, like Coolidge, in providing the basic rights for all