If you will all excuse a time out from our usual discussions here at Secondhand Smoke for a personal note: My friend Ralph Nader has a new book out and it looks to be a very special contribution from the man who has dedicated his life to civic engagement. It is called The Seventeen Traditions, and it seems a far more personal and reflective book than we are used to seeing from Ralph. I am thrilled for him and for his readers.
I just received it today, so I haven’t read it yet, but it is clear that he is not writing about policy. Rather, he evokes the forces that shaped him during his formative years—“the traditions”—as he calls them, e.g., The Tradition of Listening, The Tradition of Sibling Equality, the Tradition of Discipline, The Tradition of Simple Enjoyments, The Tradition of Independent Thinking, etc. Ralph’s family and upbringing have always been his secret weapon. And he tells us about it here.
This is the Ralph Nader I know behind the scenes and out of the public spotlight. He is a man of deep convictions, who thrives on policy debates, sure. But there is so much more to RN, a bedrock strength and idealism that permeates all that he does. And it looks like he reveals its source here.
When I was a teenager, long before I met him, I idolized Ralph and found tremendous inspiration in his passion for justice. After I began writing with him, he inspired me to (actually, I had no choice, he insisted), find levels of excellence in myself that I might not otherwise ever have achieved. In much the same way, I believe that through The Seventeen Traditions, Ralph is reaching out to inspire all of us be the best we can be—both civically and personally. And isn’t that just like him?
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