On this day, 36 years ago, John Gardner issued an announcement from his office at the Urban Coalition Action Council, located one block from where I write today.  In it, Mr. Gardner proclaimed that he was launching a new membership for Common Cause, "a nationwide, independent, non-partisan organization for those Americans who want to help in the rebuilding of the nation."  Indeed, on August 18th 1970, this was a nation in great need of rebuilding and because of Mr. Gardner's tremendous effort and dedication, Common Cause, the United States' first "Citizens' Lobby" continues to do just that today.

The press release that Mr. Gardner issued outlined some of the reasons for Common Cause's creation as well as some objectives he had for its purpose.  By way of reasons, he wrote that although the citizens of 1970's America recognized that their nation's priorities needed changing, "they (didn't) know how to go about it."  Common Cause, therefore was designed, "to assist you speak and act in [sic] behalf of the legislation designed to solve the nation's problem."

Mr. Gardner, in effect, sought to hold public officials accountable for their decisions, "we want weak public officials to know that they will be subject to criticism.  We want strong and concerned representatives to know that their efforts are appreciated." He, like millions of Americans at the time, had grown very fearful that, "most parts of the system (had) grown so rigid that they cannot respond to impending disaster."  It is in this last phrase that we see what a long fight Mr. Gardner was preparing his organization for, as the same complaint still echoes through the public today.  

Similar coincidences should be noted of Mr. Gardner's announcement.  Primarily the fact that at the heart of Common Cause's inception was a response to the outcry generated over the seemingly pointless continuance of hostilities in Vietnam.   "We believe," he writes, "there is great urgency in ending the Vietnam War on a scheduled timetable.  We believe there must be a major reordering of national priorities.  We believe the problems of poverty and race must be among our first concerns."

It begs the question; if John Gardner were here to evaluate his proud organization 30 years after its creation, would he remark on how different the world had become or how eerily similar?