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I Miss George Washington
And so should you
Two hundred and twenty-one years ago, our country lost the man widely regarded as “first in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen.”
In 1799 — the year of his passing — very few Americans would have disputed Washington’s greatness. To everyone living at that time, George Washington was “the father of his country,” and thus, when Washington breathed his last, most Americans mourned as they would the death of their own father.
Times have changed.
Statues of George Washington today are as likely to be vandalized or destroyed as they are to inspire a moment of reflection or nod of gratitude.
Many Americans today loathe and despise their own country’s origins, heaping scorn on the men we know as “the Founding Fathers.”
Students in our schools — particularly in high school and higher education — are more likely to learn of and focus on the sins and shortcomings of America’s past, rather than hear of the many positive contributions of our Founders, especially Washington.
Yet on this 221st anniversary of his death, I can’t stop thinking of how much I wish we could bring Washington out of his tomb, revive his body, and benefit from his wisdom.
