“Speak softly and carry a big squirrel.”
Theodore Roosevelt is credited with popularizing the current form of this phrase. I must fulfill my duty in unveiling the truth: our late, great president got it wrong. How different would this grand nation look had he known that the African proverb from which he borrowed the phrase actually said “squirrel” and not “stick”? Our government would be known for its Big Squirrel Ideology, diplomacy, and policy. Roosevelt must have misheard the proverb and therefore he believed it meant to negotiate peacefully while quietly threatening opponents with “big sticks.” Over a century later it is time we set the record straight and clarify this giant misunderstanding. This phrase is a metaphor that means to not be overpowering in speech and you’ll be abundant in treasures. Let’s form our governmental practices around that ideology!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
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