Profiles in Courage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Profiles in Courage - Essay Example Of the eight senators referred to in this book, the history of George W Norris and Robert A Taft is especially amazing. George W Norris George W Norris was a senator from the state of Nebraska. He served five terms in the United States Senate, spanning across the period 1913-1943 (Kennedy 171). Though being from a family of not much educated farmers of Scottish ancestry, he turned out to be a bright student who secured a degree in law from Valparaiso University (Kennedy 173). Senator George W Norris was especially known to be a man of vision and a fearless and honest speaker, emphatically dedicated to the cause of the common people (Kennedy 172). Though Senator Norris was not always successful in his endeavors, yet he seldom hesitated from responding to the call of his conscience, sans personal interests and party affiliations. Senator Norris was also known for committing himself to political causes that though just and in national interest, sometimes contradicted with the stakes of his constituency. Senator Norris held a filibuster against Woodrow Wilson’s intentions to use the American merchant ships for military purposes, an act that enervated his supporters in Nebraska (Kennedy 182). In the year 1928, Senator George W Norris happened to be the only prominent politician from Nebraska, who supported the presidential campaign of a highly unpopular Democrat Al Smith, solely out a sense of unwavering personal conviction (Kennedy 178).