It’s easy to succumb to reactionism today. Our phones, constantly attached to our bodies, feed us information continuously throughout the day. Thus presidential gaffes become quick news.

Reading this Truman biography during an election year was coincidence. But the contrasts between the Oval Office in 1950 and today could not be more jarring.

As citizens, it is our responsibility to govern ourselves and to direct our representatives. A phone call or letter can be the most effective way to make our opinions known, our voices heard. Facing the “choices” in November, now is the time for us to be proactive citizens, and to make our history.