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I suspect that the impression most of us have of the founders of our American republic was formed in elementary school. There we learned, among other things, of Washington’s integrity and Hamilton’s genius. We saw portraits of the founding fathers that were most complimentary, giving them a noble, Olympian bearing. We thought of them as walking about in a veritable cloud of greatness, dispensing fresh wisdom with each utterance. As adults, however, most of us have learned, perhaps with some sadness, that the founding fathers were fallible men. Some had reprehensible habits, and many held views that are considered outlandish or even evil today. They were extraordinary men, but fallen men, and men of their times. It strikes me, though, that despite their sins and failures, there was a greatness in our founding fathers that is largely lacking in the politicians of today. Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, and the rest realized that the country they were forming was a radical experiment based upon representative government rather than the absolute monarchies of Europe. Accordingly, they spoke and wrote about tyranny, liberty, limited government, justice, fair taxation, and the like. They were hopeful that the concepts over which they labored would become a lasting foundation for a noble and prosperous nation. Thus they struggled to put in place a government that would befit an energetic, diligent, and rightly motivated people. I imagine that the founding fathers would not recognize what passes for politcal debate today. No longer do office seekers hold forth on the grand themes of the struggle for independence. Gone is any discussion of tyranny in our land, though our freedoms are daily diminished by judicial activism and overreaching government. Rather than the self-sufficient pioneers of revolutionary days, we have become feeders at the trough. Through confiscatory tax schemes, politicians accumulate the wealth of the nation, then attempt to buy votes by promising to distribute the wealth to those who will vote for them. Our founding fathers, fallible to be sure, held to noble goals even when faced with death and the loss of their property. Modern politicians, setting principle aside, take whatever position will garner the most votes, guarantee them the longest run in office, and line their own pockets. Neither are they above altering their “principles” when the political winds change. When they speak to their constituencies, they adjust their demeanor, speech patterns, and their principles, accordingly. Some years ago, my wife made a plaque for my office wall entitled, God Give Us Men. It featured a photograph of me and my young son, and a poem written by Josiah Gilbert Holland, which reads:
It is my prayer that, by the grace of God and our dedication to Christian education, we may raise up a generation of men who fit this lofty description, men who will achieve a measure of the greatness of our founding fathers. Sincerely, Mark L. Beuligmann, M.S. Ed. Administrative Director Christian Liberty Academy School System |
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