I love our country. And I love our Founding Fathers and Mothers. These people were brilliant, hard working, and of clear vision and understanding based on harsh experience. I'm so grateful for them. I spent my formative years in and around the birthplace of this nation, and have been to the seats of freedom. I'll never forget the spirit of truth, intelligence, and the rightness of our country's founding principles that I felt there. I hope our nation as a whole never forgets them either.
The men and women who carved out our freedoms and founded this nation knew what it would take to keep it. They put it very plainly and simply:
"Human rights can only be assured among a virtuous people. The general government . . . can never be in danger of degenerating into a monarchy, an oligarchy, an aristocracy, or any despotic or oppresive form so long as there is any virtue in the body of the people."
George Washington
"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."
Benjamin Franklin
"If we mean to have heroes, statesmen and philosophers, we should have learned women." Abigail Adams
"We have too many high-sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them." Abigail Adams
"Laws without morals are in vain."
Benjamin Franklin (Motto of the University of Pennsylvania)
"Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor Liberty to purchase power."
Benjamin Franklin
We are capable of marvelous things: Acts of bravery, acts of kindness, acts of selflessness, acts of sacrifice, acts of acceptance, acts of love, acts of virtue, acts of honesty, acts of strength, acts of integrity. We have a history of behaving in such a way as to deserve our liberties. If we continue to be this type of people, all of our differences–political and personal–will be sorted out. We can do that. We came from people who did.
God Bless This Land.
Nice post, and it was nice growing up around D.C. I actually saw this painting at the Seattle Art Museum in a display, it is not much bigger than the one you posted! Incredible how small these paintings are.
I know! It’s funny. The Mona Lisa is much smaller than you’d think. I’ve been to Faneuil Hall in Boston, where I believe this painting is set, and it’s pretty cool.
Yep. We were lucky to grow up in D.C.
Great post! In the college town where I live, people are openly mocked for being ‘flag waving’. Patriotism is not something that will enhance your tenure application, if you know what I mean. It’s nice to see people in the blogosphere who aren’t afraid to praise our country and its founding principles. Thanks.
That would make me a little crazy. And it’s oxymoronic, given that learning and education were so important to our Founding Fathers and Mothers (see Abigail Adams’ quote). John Adams went to Harvard, Alexander Hamilton went to Columbia U. (was King’s College), James Madison went to Princeton, and Thomas Jefferson went to William and Mary.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Rob. Thanks!
Love this, Janiel!
Glad you did, Cassidy! Thanks!