A single moment of integrity
America was borne of a populace rejecting tyranny and oppression in the name of freedom, and yet America was also borne of individual men, men whose greatness is still spoken of loftily in our classrooms for children to forget during recess. In an age where such character seems all but absent from Capitol Hill, and may not have existed at the White House in my own quarter-century lifetime, it is difficult and yet important to remember that the course of not only men but also nations can be inexorably shifted away from a dangerous path by a single moment of integrity. And perhaps none resonates more than George Washington's simple refusal to accept the title of king.
At the end of the Revolution, as the arduous process of nation-building began which continues to this day, Washington rejected the title of king, refusing to afford himself or any future leaders of America the opportunity to become a tyrant, to become the very thing thousands of colonists had spent the last several years fighting and dying to be rid of. He retired as general of the armed forces and paved the way for the power, real power, to be in the hands of all citizens, not a mere few.
In this day of such blatant abuses of executive power with such circumventions of the law as signing statements, and attempts to extend that already entirely too long-armed reach with such decidedly anti-Constitution measures as the line-item veto, it is nearly impossible to imagine any of our recent presidents declining the power they seem to think is rightfully granted to them by their election (or in the case of 2000, near-election). And it is difficult, yet important, to remember that once, a president of this country actually turned down personal power in favor of the greater welfare of a citizenry and a budding nation.
Song lyric of the day:
"When I am king, you will be first against the wall
With your opinion which is of no consequence at all
Ambition makes you look pretty ugly"
- Radiohead, Paranoid Android
At the end of the Revolution, as the arduous process of nation-building began which continues to this day, Washington rejected the title of king, refusing to afford himself or any future leaders of America the opportunity to become a tyrant, to become the very thing thousands of colonists had spent the last several years fighting and dying to be rid of. He retired as general of the armed forces and paved the way for the power, real power, to be in the hands of all citizens, not a mere few.
In this day of such blatant abuses of executive power with such circumventions of the law as signing statements, and attempts to extend that already entirely too long-armed reach with such decidedly anti-Constitution measures as the line-item veto, it is nearly impossible to imagine any of our recent presidents declining the power they seem to think is rightfully granted to them by their election (or in the case of 2000, near-election). And it is difficult, yet important, to remember that once, a president of this country actually turned down personal power in favor of the greater welfare of a citizenry and a budding nation.
Song lyric of the day:
"When I am king, you will be first against the wall
With your opinion which is of no consequence at all
Ambition makes you look pretty ugly"
- Radiohead, Paranoid Android
2 Comments:
Not much to add except a commendation for another well-stated post. It would be fantastic to see those in political power look beyond their own aspirations and the media coverage once in a while. Then again it would also be fantastic to see a day when representatives and politicians were able to connect to their constituency, but that's not likely either.
Not to rain on your parade, but George Washington was never actually offered the title of king. What he did do, however, was step down as general and simultaneously talk his army officers out of a planned coup. And I find that pretty damn impressive, too.
For these actions, even King George III said Washington was "the greatest man alive" or something like that.
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