1
Dulce Garcia
Mrs Sanchez
English 3 AP
04 September 2018
Profiles In Courage
Political courage to me is the ability and the willingness to push fourth policy that is
responsive to the people's needs. Regardless of the consequences of being elected the bravery
knowing you can be voted out and disliked by the public. It is the ability to drive points that may
not be popular but are absolutely necessary. As a politician you must have this characteristic
driven within you to help the public to me that is the absolute definition of political courage.
In just the first chapter in this novel there were many great examples of political courage.
However the prime examples of political courage to me were those of Robert A. Taft and Daniel
Webster. Both of the politicians actions were courageous within itself. In Robert A Taft's case he
went against the current in opposing in the “Nuremberg Trials”. Robert A Taft considered the
hard truth of the roles reversing and considering if the United States would have lost in the war
against Vietnam would the soldiers who are now considered heros would be viewed as criminals.
With Daniel Webster he did the same thing following what was not popular in a union that was
divided into slavery that the main focus of expanding westward was completely put in the back
burner. Daniel however came up with a compromise stating “Mr. President I wish to speak
today, not as. a Massachusetts man nor as a Northern man but as an American and a member of
The Senate of the United States… I speak today for the preservation of the union.”. Both Robert
2
A. Taft and Daniel Webster faced many obstacles, dangers and pressures the two however b...
