Seventy years ago, on
March 6, 1943, Norman Rockwell's "Freedom from Want" appeared on the cover
of The Saturday Evening Post.
During
World War II, President Roosevelt declared Four Freedoms he felt were
fundamental to humanity: freedom of speech and worship, and freedom from fear
and want. Rockwell's Four Freedoms paintings were made into posters for the US
Second War Loan Drive in April 1943.
The United States was just coming out of the Great Depression, when people knew true want. In early 1943, rationing was becoming more and more a part of life in America. In the month of March, canned goods, meats, butter, oils, and cheeses were added to the list of rationed goods. While the American people experienced inconveniences and shortages rather then deprivation during World War II, they were aware of the true wants in the world.
In Britain and Nazi-occupied Europe, serious food shortages and severe rationing dictated life. People understood true want. The image in Rockwell's painting illustrated the desire of all people to live in a land of freedom, a land of plenty.
Today we live in a land of freedom and plenty. I'm thankful for the bounty the Lord provides, and for the sacrifices of those who came before me to ensure this freedom.
How about you?
Labels: freedom from want, World War II
