According to Ramsey, Hope students had a “great educational system and support…teachers took an interest.” Ramsey reminisced that his former civics teacher, Josephine Vesey, took her topic to heart and Anna Williams, an English teacher and sponsor of the Student Council, worked hard to encourage young leaders.
Americans believe in the importance of education as imparted not by a school system, but by individual teachers who reach out and inspire children.
Work ethic
Offering an additional reason for Clinton’s and Huckabee’s success, Ramsey noted that both former state governors Clinton and Huckabee had humble beginnings. Clinton lived with his grandmother and Huckabee’s father was a fireman.
As boys, both Hope residents learned that working hard pays off, that success and achievement follow hard work, that success does not happen by itself, but requires real work.
Dreams
“Big things come out of small packages,” said Hope Vice Mayor David Johnson in a telephone interview. “People here dream and their dreams come true… we had parents that would allow us to dream.”
“Allow your kids to dream,” Johnson recommended. These dreams provide a vision of what is possible. Hope for what might be.
Johnson said that he had “always dreamed of going to the White House.” He visited the White House during the Clinton Administration.
It is good to know that dreams can come true.
Hope – the name
Asked if he believes Clinton and Huckabee might have been inspired by the town’s name, Johnson responded, “I do, I do. I always want to have hope.”
Hope, a place of community, education, work ethic and dreams, sounds like Hope’s motto “A slice of the good life.”
What role will Hope play in the current presidential election? We already have one president from a place called Hope. Will there be another?
While pundits will continue to call the race from now until election day, as a veteran of over a dozen elections, my experience is that you can never fully anticipate what will happen, and that its not over until its over. The election is a long way off.
I can tell you this much, there are real nice people in Hope, Arkansas. And it sure is nice to believe in a place called Hope.