In 1789, Americans unanimously elected George Washington as their first President.  Since then, many presidents have come and gone; yet, Washington holds the honor of being the only president in the history of the United States to garner such loyalty and affection from the American public.  Washington was an admirable man because of his excellent leadership qualities; but another outstanding quality of this great leader, often overlooked, was humility.  Even at the pinnacle of his power, Washington maintained a humble stance towards his role as the President of the United States of America.  As President, he never wavered from assuming the role of a public servant over that of a mighty ruler – a position that most modern presidents have often ignored.

Washington did not seek the presidency himself but accepted the honor as a service to his country.  In his First Inaugural Address, Washington noted that, “I was summoned by my Country, whose voice I can never hear but with veneration and love.”  As such, the first President reflected a Statesman more than reflecting a Politician.  Perhaps the most significant difference between a “statesman” and a politician is that the former wished to serve his country; the latter is more interested in serving himself at the expense of the country.  Indeed, even when the opportunity presented itself, Washington was quick to decline from accepting “any share in the personal emoluments” or monetary gains for himself.  For Washington, the opportunity to preside over the nation presented the chance to serve Americans instead of depriving them of their liberties.

To be sure, Washington had many flaws; but for the new Americans, his humbleness overshadowed any discrepancies he possessed.   Indeed, his humility was as much, perhaps even more so, a part of his greatness.  For example, he admitted that he had received “inferior endowments from nature” and was quite “unpracti[s]ed in the duties of civil administration.”  Incredibly, even after winning the Revolutionary War against the greatest world power at the time, Britain, Washington remained “peculiarly conscious” of his many “deficiencies.”

Again, in his Second Inaugural Address, Washington maintained the same humility that was the hallmark of this great man.  Instead of a flowery speech, he was succinct and stated that if he ever “violated willingly or knowingly the injunctions” of the Constitution during his term that “(besides incurring constitutional punishment)” he should “be subject[ed] to the upbraidings of all who are now witnesses of the present solemn ceremony.”  Washington remained steadfastly faithful to the vision of the American Revolution throughout his presidency.

Of all American presidents, Washington most assuredly had the perfect opportunity to abuse his presidential authority.  Yet, instead of getting intoxicated with power and destroying the nation, he maintained his humbleness throughout his term.  Even when a deep political cleavage became apparent in his administration, Washington maintained a neutral position on most matters.  His vision was always to keep Americans united in the principles of liberty.  He managed to perform the arduous task of remaining above political factions by sheer determination and humility.  Perhaps it was easy for Washington to do so because instead of being a duplicitous character, he was naturally humble in his personal and public life.  For Washington, leading the country always remained an opportunity to promote the idea of liberty and not a chance to generate wealth for his own pocket.

Today, Washington remains mostly forgotten, or worse, criticized by those who feel the founding principles need to be reformed.  Instead of trying to change the fundamental concepts of the nation, principles that once heralded the United States as a superpower, it might be more helpful for Americans to consider the vision provided by those who fought and died for our liberties. For those seeking to lead the United States today, a lesson in humility from George Washington would make a great start in uniting the nation in hope of moving forward.

Photo Credit: OZinOH (Creative Commons)

On a cold December day,

The sky was dull and gray.

The river Potomac lay frozen,

The sounds of birds, painfully broken.

People arrived in droves for the procession,

Many aghast at the shocking revelation.

A great white steed trod slowly through the crowds of Virginia,

The empty saddle signifying the great loss for America.

The one Wheatley praised for his valor and virtue more,

Now lay forever behind heaven’s door.

Despite his request for a private burial,

Americans flocked to see the greatest memorial.

Thunderstruck most were for they could not have conceived,

A man as great would so soon be grieved.

The troops, the band, the mourners marched on,

Heavy hearts, each, in disbelief that he was gone.

The clergy prayed and the Masons performed the final rites,

Some watched while others took to flight.

The shroud concealed the greatest American,

Who lived by principles now long forgotten.

In the simple red brick tomb in Mount Vernon he now lays,

Unaware of the mayhem of his country’s present days.

A man once celebrated and unanimously elected,

Is now forgotten and mostly disrespected.

For ‘tis true he was born in February,

But they will not even honor his memory.

Columbus Day they gladly celebrate,

But a special day for this extraordinary Leader, they hate.

Of all the politicians we see,

He was the greatest Statesmen there shall ever be.

Should you ever hold a dollar in your hand,

Do remember that George Washington was a great man.

Photo Credit: OZinOH (Creative Commons)

On a cold night of March 1692, all was quiet except the chilling moans escaping from a house belonging to the village minister, Samuel Parris, of Salem Village in Massachusetts.  In a back room of the house, a nine-year-old girl clutched her throat and began spinning around as if in a trance.  Elizabeth Parris then flung her frail body on the hard wood floor in a fit of passion.  Another young girl, Elizabeth’s eleven-year-old cousin Abigail Williams, followed suit; and soon, both girls were screaming hysterically.  They fought and clawed the air as if fighting against a supernatural beast.  The floorboards beneath their small bodies creaked, and the noise echoed throughout the small house.  Elizabeth’s father called for the village physician immediately.  After much deliberation, the doctor pronounced that the girls were suffering from “bewitchment.”  Soon, the two girls accused other villagers of witchcraft; and for the next several months, the small New England community was in an uproar.

From June through September of 1692, the Salem Witch Trials condemned hundreds of people as witches.  The accused were men, women, and children and included people from surrounding neighborhoods.  Once the fervor against the “witches” began, there was no end to the accusations.  People from all levels of society were accused and tried as witches, including the Governor’s wife.  At least nineteen condemned men and women died from hanging.  Other witches either died in jail or lived the duration of their lives as social outcasts-always afraid of the authorities.

No one explanation provides the answer to why the Salem Witch Trials reached such a great height.  Indeed, the Salem Witch Trials remain curious even today because of the magnitude of people who were accused, convicted, and executed for it.  Historians have stated economic, social, and frontier troubles with Native Americans and petty jealousies as a few of the reasons why so many accusations arose.  Whatever the cause(s), one thing is certain: many innocent people lost their lives because of the hysterics prompted at the behest of a few.

As with those hunting for witches in 1692, today, the liberals are also looking for “witches.”  The unfortunate and inhumane killing of innocent children in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14, 2012 has renewed the liberals’ taste for vengeance.  Unfortunately, criminals are not the focus of their wrath, but it is the Bill of Rights.  Liberals feel that the law needs to be “reformed.”  Indeed, they would like to do away with the Bill of Rights completely if at all possible.  They are not interested in finding true solutions that work to keep such tragedies from recurring; instead, their ultimate goal is the destruction of our liberties as American citizens.  To achieve this goal, they have shamelessly used the tragedy of the Newtown shooting to promote their own political agenda:  banishing the Second Amendment altogether.  Their argument is that by banning guns, there will never be another tragedy in America.

Indeed, their argument would serve well if only it made any sense.  In most states, law-abiding citizens who own guns must first pass a thorough background investigation and fingerprinting/ identification process before they can acquire any weapons.  Some states require firearms safety training before they issue permits.  Suffice it to say, those people who own guns legally must meet state standards (which differ widely by individual states) to own guns.  For someone to go through the stringent process of becoming a gun owner only for the sake of going on a shooting spree seems illogical to say the least.  Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule; but most law-abiding citizens are aware of the risk they take if they use their guns to hurt innocent people.

Typically, people who own guns legally do so for protection, recreation, or mere nostalgia.  If anything, many of these law-abiding citizens have used their weapons to defend themselves and even protect others.  A 2012 study performed by Clayton E. Cramer and David Burnett for the Cato Institute in Washington D.C. shows several true examples of law-abiding citizens who used their guns for self-defense purposes.

The “right to bear arms” is a fundamental right given to every American citizen.  George Washington once said:  “The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference – they deserve a place of honor with all that’s good.”  Yet, liberals have long forsaken Washington and are now working diligently to eradicate the Bill of Rights, too.  Criminals will continue to find ways to get guns as they do even now with the current laws in place.  If anything, by banning guns, the government will only further assist criminals in attacking innocent people who will have no way to protect themselves from the criminals’  dastardly deeds.  Consider what a difference it would have made on September 11, 2001 if any American citizen on Flights American 11, United 175, American 77, and United 93 had carried legally-obtained guns.  What liberals don’t seem to understand is that those who want to commit a crime by definition are not law-abiding individuals to begin with.  As such, to expect such people to honor “reformed” laws that ban guns altogether is foolhardy.  The only thing these “reforms” will bring about is the further destruction of American society.

As with the Salem Witch Trials and September 11, 2001, the Newtown shooting has become an infamous part of American history.  All of us will remember it forever.  It is a disgrace for the liberals to suggest that only they feel the pain for the loss of those innocent lives.  It is equally shameful for them to use the tragedy of the Newtown shooting as a way to punish law-abiding American citizens by eradicating our constitutional rights.  Laws need to be “reformed”, but not to hurt those who abide by them.  September 11, 2001 united all Americans regardless of their personal beliefs; should not the Newtown tragedy do the same?

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