LBJ Library and Museum

The excursion to LBJ Library and Museum was extremely enlightening and inspiring. The task of finding character traits was not hard to accomplish because there were many stories of different individuals who shaped the history of the United States during the period of Lyndon Baines Johnson's Presidency. I feel that it would only right to start with LBJ himself; on several occasions LBJ showed positive and influential characteristics during the events he faced before and after being President. He was the youngest Senator to ever serve as a Democrat Majority Leader in the Senate. I want to enter the chaotic law arena someday and to see someone assume a role that is usually given to more experienced politicians gives me courage to become a person that is willing to take on roles that is not expected of me. To be a young person in charge shows that leadership and responsibility was seen in you by other colleagues, and it is an extreme privilege to be chosen. Another trait of the President LBJ I would like to possess is how he "represents all the people and must face up to all the problems." This also coincides with my future desire to pursue law; I will most likely want to be in a representative position of some sort and would want to take on all challenges posed to all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, or other physical aspects. Pictured to the left is a portrait of LBJ, which portrays a younger LBJ probably before the stresses of being President was endured. According to Lady Bird Johnson, "There have been several portraits of my husband, but this is the first one I have liked." I would also like to possess the faith in opportunities the University of Texas has to offer like Lady Bird Johnson; she believed that "all the doors of the world were suddenly swung open to me." She had a positive outlook and image of UT; it seems as if she sought out to make sure good things came here way while she was UT. I want to have the courage to go and get what I deserve. I want to encourage more doors being open to me and embrace the opportunities I will receive at UT.

Another admiral figure was Dr. Martin Luther King. His ability to strive during times of turmoil is definitely a character trait I would like to possess. The Civil Rights Movement was a struggle for individuals that were discriminated against, and MLK showed "...his courage and perseverance in the face of death threats and firebombings of his home [and] inspired tens of thousands of people..." To know you have made a difference in someone's life is a gift that can never be taken away. Even though I don't intend to influence a large mass of individuals, I do intend to help and inspire as many individuals as I can. Pictured to the right is Dr. Martin Luther King speaking in front of thousands of people about his dreams of black people in American society. I was also inspired by all individuals who endured the Civil Rights Movement and was able to make a better life for themselves. I can only imagine the struggles endured by the minorities during this time. I want to possess their willingness to keep going even when times are hard. Leaders are constantly faced with challenges and are not expected to give up when a clear solution is not in plain sight. Leaders are just not responsible for themselves but for others as well so giving up isn't the best option.

Even though the LBJ Library and Museum was filled with wonderful achievements and individuals, the not so pleasant individuals were also represented. I did not find leadership traits in Ku Klux Klan, which was "an organization hostile towards blacks, Jews, Catholics, and foreigners." Sometimes a leader cannot pick and chose who they are going to represent; so being an open minded individual is a must. The KKK were not inspiring leaders; they degraded and inflicted violence against individuals that were different from them. Those are traits I want to stay away from as much as I can. The KKK were not the only ones captured in old views of the United States, but others around the country portrayed hatred against ethnicities that were different than their own. When Private Felix Z. Longoria was killed in WWII, the funeral home director said "we never made a practice of letting Mexicans use the chapel and we don't want to start now." Imagine someone telling you this after your loved one has been killed; I would feel devastated and extremely upset. I want to be a leader that embraces different races and ethnicities and everything they have to offer. Individuals from different walks of life can teach you things you didn't even know existed. Leaders can be more intelligent in their field of work if they have a diverse way of thinking.