Tribute to George Washington

**Corvus Corax** · 02-22-2021, 04:38 AM

On his birthday, I just want to salute the greatest American of all time. Even before there was a Declaration of Independence, General Washington was on the battlefields fighting for our heritage against overwhelming odds (versus the greatest military power on earth) with inadequately trained, underfed, under-equipped and outnumbered troops who weren’t really sure what they were fighting for. If that isn’t a miracle then what is?

He had the opportunity to be made a king without the benefit of our hindsight. As our first President, he carried the burden of defining the office, setting a precedent at every turn. He hoped but had no idea if the Great Experiment would endure. And he was the only Founding Father who made a provision in his will to free his slaves (upon his wife’s death).

We cannot help but take his legacy for granted. But we shouldn’t. He was a very, very special man to whom we owe an eternal debt of gratitude.

CCx

P.S. Next year the date is 2-22-22.

**TheOrioleWay** · 02-22-2021, 08:30 AM

I'll join in the salute.

Our kids had never been to Mt. Vernon, so we took them a couple of years ago and I forgot what a cool place it was.

Was watching a documentary on him and supposedly if he caught a soldier that deserted, sometimes he would go through the whole ritual of marching him to the scaffold to hang him, and at the last minute, would change his mind and say "don't do it again".

**NCRAVEN** · 02-22-2021, 09:51 AM

One of the greatest men the world has had.

They wanted to make him King, he said no, that's what we just fought against.

Then... he voluntarily gave up power, something which had never been done before.

**owknows** · 02-22-2021, 11:35 AM

He was a bit of a prophet as well.

Warning us about the dangers of a powerful central government...

and warning us about the creation of political parties... suggesting that it would be our undoing

**wickedsolo** · 02-22-2021, 12:01 PM

But he was a white, racist, slave-owning bigot.

#Keepitwoke

**owknows** · 02-22-2021, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

But he was a white, racist, slave-owning bigot.

#Keepitwoke

I know your comment was tongue in cheek.. but to respond to it seriously...

There is not a man among the founders of this country that was not a hypocrite in some way or another.

Nor is there a man without some measure of hypocrisy anywhere.

The founders of this country advanced an idea that was revolutionary, and profoundly significant. The idea that we are sovereign individuals... endowed with rights. And that no one (not King or Government) was entitled to subjugate those rights.

The fact that some of the founders of this country failed to live up to the premises set forth in those ideas... doesn't invalidate the ideas...

We find ourselves today with increasing attacks on the founders of this country... attempting to judge them by the standards of gods instead of men. But the motive of these attackers is not to besmirch the men... but the ideas by extension. They prefer a government which subjugates the liberty of any who don't share their collectivist leanings.

The founders of this country risked their blood and their treasure to advance the idea of liberty...

And the liberty they suffered to bring forth is slowly dying...

Most of us know it is dying... but cannot muster the courage to stop it... because life is still too comfortable.

**BustOfPallas** · 02-22-2021, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by owknows

I know your comment was tongue in cheek.. but to respond to it seriously...

There is not a man among the founders of this country that was not a hypocrite in some way or another.

Nor is there a man without some measure of hypocrisy anywhere.

The founders of this country advanced an idea that was revolutionary, and profoundly significant. The idea that we are sovereign individuals... endowed with rights. And that no one (not King or Government) was entitled to subjugate those rights.

The fact that some of the founders of this country failed to live up to the premises set forth in those ideas... doesn't invalidate the ideas...

We find ourselves today with increasing attacks on the founders of this country... attempting to judge them by the standards of gods instead of men. But the motive of these attackers is not to besmirch the men... but the ideas by extension. They prefer a government which subjugates the liberty of any who don't share their collectivist leanings.

The founders of this country risked their blood and their treasure to advance the idea of liberty...

And the liberty they suffered to bring forth is slowly dying...

Most of us know it is dying... but cannot muster the courage to stop it... because life is still too comfortable.

I think deconstruction of the narrative of this country has always been a goal of extreme far left groups but never really had a chance to gain traction. There has always been pushback and repercussions for engaging in post-modern/neo marxist narrative busting until Trump. Under Trump the media lost its fucking mind and in an effort to "get" Trump became partners and enablers of those messengers/messages. Trump is pro American flag? Then we are against it. Trump believes in keeping monuments? Then they must be torn down/tearing any and all of them down is valid etc. etc.. It's likely not simply anti-Trump excess but also an attempt to combat populism and Nationalism that need those sorts of unifying symbols and foundational myths as a vital part of their core. I don't think Democrats see that their losses in the house was a rebuke at the nonsense of the previous year of looking the other way at anarchy. That was a big fat dead canary. They should have continued to pick up seats and retaking the Senate should have been a forgone conclusion. They are over-reaching and flying off the rails now with Joe's 100 days of bad ideas. 2022 is shaping up to be a bloodbath.

And yes, Washington was a great man.