George Washington
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." -George Washington
Nov 4th, 2008, I went down to city hall and I stood in line for three hours. It was worth it because I was pumped up for this election. Yes, this election was all about change but I had restoration on my mind. The past eight years were a drag, the media had failed me (big surprise there) and I was looking to vote for someone who could truly lead us in times such as these. So as I stood in line this black man in front of me turned around and was like: "Hey young brotha, you voting for Barack huh? This your first time voting?" I said: "No, I voted in 2004 and 2006, I'm actually voting for George." So the guy was looking confused and he said "George Bush isn't running for president." I told him I was aware of that and that I meant George Washington, not George Bush. Well he looked at me and said "Man, you need to vote for Barack, have some pride." Well, I thought to myself as the man turned to face the other direction: "I have pride. I have pride in my country, that's why I'm voting for George Washington." So alas it's my turn to vote and I stand their, all 6'0 of me and I do my Americanly deeds. I write in George Washington's name and I voted for him.
When I finished I was so proud of myself because I voted principle, instead of celebrity or the usual anti-vote, which would have been McCain. You see I remember the look of that older black guy in front of me. He didn't understand why I wrote in George Washington's name, but I knew why he was voting for Barack Obama. I voted principle while he voted racial pride. One had nothing to do with the country, but principle had everything to do with this country.
It was John Quincy Adams who said "Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost" I voted principle because I have no faith in Barack Obama, or John McCain. I put my personal feelings about the two men aside and I compared them to the greatest leader in our nation's history. They couldn't stack up to the man who led farmers and blacksmiths in a war against a mighty Empire, and succeeded. The man who foreseen all that is taking place today; he warned against in his farewell address to the nation some 200 years prior. I had to vote principle, it was the right thing for me to do.
His words still inspire me:
"Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder."
"To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."
"Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth."
You see our politicians today don't believe in this stuff because they aren't leaders like George. Washington believed in the truth and its power to defeat injustice and oppression. He had principles, and he knew the importance of preserving them for future generations. Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Barack Obama, and the Republicans believe in sacrificing future generations for their own agendas. I often wonder how some can support these people with enthusiasm. Where do they find these leaders?, borrowing a quote from Pat Buchanan. How did we get to this point in our history? We've gone from conviction and principle to pragmatism and political maneuvering. Well I for one will most likely write in the name of a founding father in every general election from here on out. I will do so until the day comes when we have a national candidate who believes in the things I believe in. I still believe in the constitution, not as an evolving document but as the only document, the right document. I still believe in freedom, individual rights, and independent thought. I long for a candidate who tells me not to follow him or trust in him but to instead challenge me to capture the day and accomplish my own goals as an individual. I don't want to be apart of a collectivist movement where the sky is no longer the limit, because in the interest of fairness we must install a ceiling and a roof. I want to vote for someone who still believes in capitalism.
But more importantly I want to vote for someone who knows the true meaning of the word "leader" and possesses the qualities that make him or her one. But perhaps in today's America I'm asking too much. All we have are tax cheats, deceivers, and celebrities who wouldn't know a leader from the hole where they're head is.