What would Washington say?

Among the panoply of early American icons, there was only one whose achievements, intent, mannerisms, fortitude and grandeur carried the ideals of all the others to fruition. That person was George Washington, the man who not only embodied American ideals, but dedicated his life to define them as well.
    Of all the founders, he was irreplaceable. Of all the presidents, he was free from partisanship. His stature of greatness was recognized in his own time. His sacrifices during wartime were profound. His civility inviolate. He was keenly aware of how he stood on the axis of history and was determined not to fail it.
    Yes, we had Jefferson the idealist; Adams the realist; Madison, the architect of government. Each of them, and many more, played decisive roles. Washington, however, was the rock upon which they stood, the shoulder that carried their hopes and dreams into reality. One moment of weakness on his part, one diversion of selfish ego, and the burgeoning republic would have collapsed.
    Washington's noble qualities cannot be exaggerated. Chief among them were personal character, honesty, and a dedicated concern for the unity of this nation of disparate states. He saw this nation's potential greatness, and in that regard, looked not only to the present but toward the future.
    Washington provided a solid foundation for Enlightenment ideals. The question now turns to us. What are we building on that foundation? Is it anything like the nobility that was originally intended?
    Today's partisanship, and the factions that support it, have betrayed Washington's vision. For the sake of raw power, politicians and special interests greedily work to divide the nation along party lines, each side needlessly opposing and disparaging the other. They have made a mockery of our union. Truth has become a disposable commodity. The good of the people has been ignored for the good of the wealthy.
    It is sad but true that we daily prove ourselves unworthy of our first president's legacy. We have sold our birthright to the short-sighted greed of small-minded leaders and their factional mobs.
    When I see angry people shouting down speakers at town hall meetings, raise horrific caricatures of our president, and display guns at political rallies, I see people who have lost all sense of decency. They do not represent America. America should not be defined solely by free speech, but by what people use free speech to say. Was America forged for the propagation of incivility and prejudice? Should regional prejudices be used to feed disunity? What would Washington say? I much prefer his valuable insight to the blandishments of today's Tea Party dynamics, designed to disrupt, disparage and tear down what is good.
What would George Washington say? The following quotes come from his farewell address to the armies, dated November 2, 1783:

"Who that was not a witness could imagine, that the most violent local prejudices would cease so soon, and that men who came from different parts of the continent, strongly disposed by the habits of education, to despise and quarrel with each other, would instantly become but one patriotic band of brothers?"

"In order to effect this desirable purpose, and to remove the prejudices which may have taken possession of the minds of any of the good people of the States, it is earnestly recommended to all the troops that with strong attachments to the Union, they should carry with them into civil society the most conciliating disposition; and that they should prove themselves not less virtuous and useful as citizens, than they have been persevering and victorious as soldiers."

"And although the General has so frequently given it as his opinion in the most public and explicit manner, that unless the principles of the federal government were properly supported, and the powers of the union increased, the honor, dignity, and justice of the nation would be lost forever; yet he cannot help repeating on this occasion, so interesting a sentiment, and leaving it as his last injunction to every officer and every soldier, who may view the subject in the same serious point of light, to add his best endeavors to those of his worthy fellow citizens toward effecting these great and valuable purposes, on which our very existence as a nation so materially depends."

Where do we hear such wisdom and goodness today? Certainly not on talk radio. Certainly not from conservative politicians in Washington, who delight on just the opposite, whose idea of smaller government means tearing down what is best about America and leaving in its stead a vacuum. Certainly not from corporations that spend millions of dollars on commercial ads in order to siphon their obscene wealth from the rest of us.
    Where are the leaders we sorely need? Glenn Beck is a twisted caricature of paranoia. Rush Limbaugh, a bluster bag of noisy ego. Sean Hannity, a small-minded gossip. Ann Coulter, an exploiter of discord who would say anything to sell books. Sarah Palin, a ridiculous combination of the empress who has no clothes and Paris Hilton.
    Republican legislators and senators, with their partisan, paranoid talk about death panels and concentration camps, have lost their credibility entirely. The ones I respected have been pushed out of office.
    Among the liberals, I still see hope. President Obama thus far has retained the dignity and integrity of his office, despite the onslaught of conservative attacks. I consider him the brightest star in a murky sky.
    We need to support him, and can do that only by responding with truth to those who wish to tear his presidency apart.

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