Washington’s Warning: A Timeless Truth
George Washington, our first president, warned against Americans dividing into political parties and factions in his farewell address, on Saturday, September 17, 1796.
“However [political parties or factions] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.“ (This is one of the reasons why I don’t allow mention of political parties or prominent personalities in the comments, nor links or pictures)
I can’t help but reflect on Washington’s warning as I listen to the continuous drumbeat of bad news. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not giving up hope. Our founding documents, combined with the true grit of Americans throughout our country’s short history, lead me to believe that our Constitutional Republic will survive.
A commentator said that great empires and governments throughout history have a shelf life of about 250 years. The United States of America will be 250 years old in 2026, a short year away. That’s what got me thinking about the state of the nation.
Initially, I thought it would be good if Americans were presented with two polar opposite choices when it comes to running the government Surely, ideas that foster love of country, Constitution, and traditional values (meaning conserving the founding documents, patriotism, and loyalty to the nation we were given) would always rise to the top. I was wrong.
Factions vs. Freedom: The American Dilemma
Who could anticipate that Americans would sharply divide into factions, placing loyalty to those factions above the country? I didn’t foresee a lack of civics education that causes children to be ignorant of their country’s foundational principles. I thought our American heritage would invariably be passed on from generation to generation as it had been. Who would ever believe that our history would be re-vamped to cast deep shadows on our American legacy of faith, family, and freedom?
It’s good to have leaders put forward a variety of ideas. However, I never thought Americans would support future leaders who wanted a whole new country based on global failed ideologies. But if we appreciate our American heritage, now is the time to be patriotic, not surrender. Now is the moment to stand up and be counted, not sit down and commiserate.
Embracing Our Heritage: A Call for Unity
As George Washington cautioned, while factions may serve popular ends, they can ultimately undermine our Republic’s foundations. Now, more than ever, we must heed Washington’s warning and unite in our shared commitment to freedom and the principles that define our great nation.
Remember: freedom is in our DNA. We have that much in common. It’s time to get the country’s energy flowing toward unity of purpose and liberty.
This is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship.🇺🇸
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