Truth-tellers and Liars

This weekend we celebrate Presidents' Day and remember two of our greatest presidents. One, President Abraham Lincoln, helped preserve the union and steered us through the Civil War. The other president, George Washington, our first president, is considered the Father of our country. Already famous as the General who pulled the country victoriously through the Revolutionary War, he was a simple choice to be the first president, once we had established a country with a Constitutional government.

After serving two terms, he announced he would not seek a further term. There were many calls for him to stay, but he chose to step down because he wanted this fragile country to follow the guidelines established by the founders. They wanted a more representative government and that could not be in place if the voters did not elect new leaders, as he saw it. England had a king who ruled for life; that was not what this new government wanted to have in place. Washington knew he had to be firm in his decision and push the country toward a democratic succession made by the voters. In his quest to nudge the country toward democracy and reinforce the Constitution, he considered the needs of the citizens, and the rules that were now in place, over any personal needs or ambitions, unlike many politicians today. After decades of service, he was ready to retire to his Virginia home in Mount Vernon.

Washington gave what we now refer to as a Farewell Address as he stepped down. It is described here by the National Constitutional Center. In 1796, he gave some warnings to his countrymen about relationships. In these remarks, he set the stage for future events and established a precedent for the peaceful transfer of power. Washington set forth three major themes. He warned against political factionalism as he saw areas of his country eager to set off against another in considerations of commerce, finances, and slaveholding.. He encouraged a push toward national unity and efforts to find common responses to shared problems. He also warned against threats from internal and foreign forces; those who would seek to disrupt this fragile union. The president, upon leaving office, showed his vision as he spoke out against the United States getting involved in foreign entanglements. Consequently, he encouraged neutrality and diplomacy in foreign affairs. This was over 228 years ago. Many of these remarks ring true now, centuries later.

Washington recognized the need for the country to grow, become stronger, and find strength in a common purpose. Unity between states would lengthen the roots for the national body to survive, he thought. Saying "To the efficacy and permanency of your union, a government for the whole is indispensable."

He also wanted to reinforce the nascent Rule of Law, then tenuously in place. He set forth cautious guidelines in financial affairs, warned against factious political parties, and encouraged education generally, and in public affairs. Since there were no national communication means, this address was not a formal speech but an essay and newspapers initially printed this Farewell Address. The first paper to print it was the Philadelphia Daily American Advertiser, and it was then shared with other newspapers across the country.

Apocryphally, Washington was known for his truth-telling as a young man; he finished his governmental career with the same theme. He might then have loudly decried some of the political ads we see today that skirt the truth and rely on lies and innuendo. How different this is from would-be leaders today who care little about the truth and appear to relish the lies they tell with apparent impunity. Our first president, in his warnings against factionalism, may have realized that centuries later we would have red states and blue states, conservatives vs. progressives, and authoritarians against those who support democracy.

Over the centuries, we have had good presidents and bad presidents, and threats to our union and our nation, but we have survived as a country. Some now are wondering if the schisms being encouraged by the right-wing, pseudo-patriots and foreign bad actors might break through our national unity, as tattered as it is today. How different might the elections of 2016 and 2020 have been without the interference of Russia, Iran, or China?

While we cannot undo what others have done to unravel our democracy, we are forewarned now and can put in place roadblocks to autocrats, dictators, and the like. Voters can speak up and speak out, sharing information with their neighbors. And most importantly, voters need to vote. As a country, the percentage of voters is usually low, even in national elections. Many residents (about 21% in 2017, according to Pew Research) are not even registered to vote. This needs to change and there is a simple remedy. Many of these voters say voting is a hassle, they don't like politics; they don't have time, etc. But, at least in states such as MD with no-fault absentee voting, one can sign up, receive a ballot, and vote from their home. Their ballot can be mailed in or dropped in a county ballot collection box. In 2020, according to electproject.org/202g, approximately 160 million people voted in the 2020 general election from among a population at that time of around 320 million. Others note that the elections of 2018, 2020, and 2022 have been among the three highest percentage turn-outs in history, so perhaps the negative trends are turning. I guess we shall see.

In other news, long-time Putin critic, Russian Alexei Navalny, died suddenly this week at his Arctic prison camp. Some think Putin now believes he no longer has to be concerned about international opinion and can continue to kill his opposition without restraint. Others believe the Republican Party and its presidential candidate are enabling these moves. Time will tell.

Til next week-Peace.