A ruling that struck a chord

SHIN BOK-RYONG
The author is a former professor emeritus of history at Konkuk University.

Fiorello La Guardia (1882-1947) was a descendant of Italian immigrants. After graduating from New York University and serving in the military during World War I, he was discharged as a major and became a judge in New York.

During the Great Depression in the 1930s, an old man was arrested for theft. He had stolen bread from a grocery store after having eaten nothing for four days. The bread cost around $10. After questioning the old man, judge La Guardia fined him $10, which the man did not have.

La Guardia gave the verdict again. He said that the old man had to live such a hard life because the people in the cold-hearted city failed to take care of the poor. So he fined himself $10 and everyone in the court 5 cents.

A hat went around, and everyone paid the fine without complaining. They collected $57.5. Judge LaGuardia paid the $10 in fines from the collection and gave the rest to the old man. You can imagine the atmosphere at the court and what happened to the old man.

La Guardia was frequently coaxed and threatened by the mafia because he was an Italian descendent, but he steadfastly ruled criminal cases without compromise. As he became famous for his integrity and humanity, he was elected to the Congress and served seven terms, from 1919 to 1933. Then he served three four-year terms as the mayor of New York City.

Upon retirement from the mayoral position, he became the director general of the UN Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and passed away at the age of 65. In commemoration of his legacy, the city renamed the airport after La Guardia and erected his statue. The airport is mostly used for domestic flights today. Why am I not moved by Korean politics?