Arnold P. Abbott

Arnold Peter Abbott was born in Beverly, Mass. in 1924. Educated in the public schools of Massachusetts, he entered the University of Pennsylvania, as a pre-Med student soon after Pearl Harbor. Exempt from military service, he felt that the war could not be won without his help, and demanded that he be called to active duty. The army obliged, after he perched on its doorstep at Camp Meade, Maryland. Guaranteed his choice of branch, he chose the Medical Corps, but, alas, under an Anti-Semitic company commander, only the infantry was available. he served as a combat infantryman in North Africa and Italy, receiving his discharge in 1945. Returning to the U. of P., he resumed and accelerated his studies, finishing with an A.B. in Journalism. Strangely, he spent the next 40 years of his life in sales, although he wrote poetry, short stories and book reviews, occasionally published, during those years. Concomitantly, for 18 of those years, he became a "Citizen in Politics," in Pennsylvania, holding public and political office during that period, while shattering a record of sorts, at Penn - taking 10 years to complete the requirements and thesis for a Masters in Political Science at that institution, because he was traveling 7 states continuously, to make a living, at that time.

In his political career, he started as a Committeeman in a Pennsylvania District, climbing the ladder through local and county offices, to a post on the Democratic State Committee. He was twice elected a delegate to Democratic National Conventions, in 1964 and 1968. He is tongue-in-cheek proud that his write-up in "Who's Who in American Politics" 1969-1970 edition, contains 26 lines to Harry S. Truman's 14 lines. "But," he smilingly concludes, "my hero, 'give 'em hell Harry,' was much more modest that am I." Although extremely sensitive to the feelings of people of different religions and strongly-held social persuasions, Arnold Abbott is proud of his Jewish heritage, and is honored to be labeled a Liberal, with a capital "L." When pressed for an explanation, he sys: "Judaism teaches that we are our brother's keeper; we care deeply about the worker, the poor, and the underprivileged."

Politically, in 1964 he defied his own National Democratic Convention by overseeing the seating of the Mississippi Freedom Delegation, a Negro delegation that had been dutifully elected. The regular Mississippi Delegation had walked out rather than make a compromise to sear two of the Negro delegation. The convention had ruled against seating the Freedom group, but Arnold, a delegate from Pennsylvania, prevailed, and saw to their seating, fighting, also, to save the Mississippi stanchion, that others were trying to tear from his hands.

Arnold moved to Florida in 1970. Never retired, he founded the Maureen A. Abbott Love Thy Neighbor Fund in 1991, the year that his Angel wife, Maureen died, to commemorate her life with a living memorial, that would benefit the homeless whom they had cared for together during her lifetime, and to have her name before him every day thereafter. In 1991, he was 2 years past retirement age, and now, 21 years later, he works 6 days a week feeding the homeless, and conducts his LTN Culinary Skills Training Program, 5 days a week, to gain certification and a career for homeless persons who enroll in his 9-week Culinary course. He writes before, after, and in-between those "meaningful" times, and has managed to publish 3 books during that time: "When In Doubt…Blame A Jew," (A Personal and People's Memoir of Anti-Semitism.) "From Aches To Ecstasy," (A Sex Primer For Those Over Fifty, Plus Valuable Information for Lonely People of Any Age,) and " On A Poetic Life," "Biographic Essays In Rhyme."

The plight of the underdog has always been the catalyst that stimulates Arnold Abbott and propels him into the midst of unpopular causes. An old-school gentleman, bred to the standards of New England politeness, he becomes a pit bull when it comes to fighting for the rights of the little guy. He is incensed when he hears those who espouse reverting to a reversal of the fundamental reason for founding our country, an escape from religious persecution, and to now turn us into a "Christian Country." He foams at the mouth when he hears those same fundamentalists use the word Christian, as the only acceptable synonym for being a good human being. Narrow-minded people and APA just don't mesh. He is not surprised when Right-Wing Conservatives complain about the possibility of the United States becoming a place where socialism is a potential threat. His answer is that those people must live under a rock, ignorant of the fact that our form of government has been A Socialized Democracy since 1932.

If he is given the time, Arnold has one more project he would like to tackle. He wants to educate the masses of American workers to really vote their interests, through finally, and thoroughly, understanding the very real differences between the 2 major political parties. He also wants to live to see needed changes in our voting system, through year-round, uncomplicated voter registration at police and fire stations; and 4 year terms for House of Representative members rather than the present 2 year terms, which keeps them constantly in a re-election mode rather than settling down to take care of the business of our country. He also wants to change general elections from Tuesdays to weekend voting, to give working people who cannot leave their jobs to vote on weekdays, a chance to also participate in our system of Democracy.

Finally, his favorite people on this earth, are those who perform random acts of kindness. he has been described as "opinionated, but lovable." Here is an opinion by Arnold: "When people care about each other, the world is a beautiful place."