by Ros Poplar
On our nation’s 250th Birthday, I had the pleasure of watching the movie Young Washington which details the early life of our greatest Founding Father George Washington from boyhood, through the agony of defeat, to his maturation as a military leader. Against all odds he did the impossible – defeat the world’s most powerful army at the Battle of Yorktown - which gave rise to the United States of America.
He and our Founders secured independence through a grueling Revolutionary War without the support of the Continental Congress who initially refused to support the Army due to petty jealousies and partisan politics. Even more remarkably, those same revolutionaries then designed and ratified a constitution grounded on limited government, individual rights, separation of powers, and popular sovereignty - a form of governance that had never before been successfully implemented on a national scale in human history.
The convergence of the brilliant and determined minds of Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Adams, Franklin, and Hamilton, and sheer tenacity of the Colonialists against all odds created the United States of America which although not perfect, continues to serve as the beacon of Democracy in the free world.
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/primary-sources/washingtons-farewell-address/
Fast forward to his departure I could also not help but think of Washington’s prescient warning in his farewell address regarding the dangers of political parties. He cautioned that political parties would be detrimental to the nation by fostering division, empowering self-interested individuals to seize control, and making the country vulnerable to foreign influence. He cautioned that the “spirit of party” could distract public officials, incite hostility among citizens, and lead to corruption - ultimately threatening the stability and the very existence of the nation.
Washington warned that political parties would create factions based on regional interests, overshadowing the common good and national unity. He feared that ambitious and unprincipled men would use political parties as “potent engines” to gain power for themselves, at the expense of the will of the people and that party passions could make the country more susceptible to manipulation by foreign powers. He argued that political parties would also distract public councils and weaken the effectiveness of public administration. He projected that parties would stir up “ill-founded jealousies and false alarms,” leading to animosity and ultimately insurrections.
Reexamining his timeless warnings we should reconsider the role that political parties play in our lives and heed his sage wisdom spoken over 250 years ago. As we approach the twenty-fifth anniversary of 9/11 it is time to restore our national unity and sense of purpose and heed our Founding Fathers timeless warnings that have enabled our Republic to flourish as the leader of the free world. Washington’s timeless advice continues to this day to serve as our nation’s north star as we continue to move forward in anticipation of another 250 years of “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
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