Food for Thought

[Kamidake]

Fellow U. S. citizens, as we wind down from celebrating the birth of our nation, I offer the following article, written by Leigh Allan of the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News:

 

"I've always marveled at the incredible level of talent found among the Founding Fathers. The population of the colonies was about that of southwest Ohio today, there was little in the way of formal education...and yet, out of their 3 million people, came Washington and Franklin and Jefferson and Hamilton and the Adams boys and the rest. Out of our 3 million today comes Jerry Springer...

 

....these were men who not only declared themselves free from a much more powerful nation, but eschewed much of the power, position and wealth they could have grabbed when their improbable quest succeeded. Washington could have been king by merely asking for a crown. Others could have become barons and earls. But instead, they showed in the framing of the Constitution that the declaration "all men are created equal" waasn't mere campaign rhetoric.

 

Even in death they were modest. Nearby, in Christ Church Cemertery, Ben Franklin rated a modest slab, some other declaration signers perhaps no original marker at all.

 

It's incredible--such leadership out of so few possibilities. And it's sad to see what pathetic leadership we find now from a pool almost 100 times as large.

 

The question of where they are now, those leaders of skill and honor, is one I've wondered often through the years, regardless of what party or political philosophy is in vogue. It's an equal opportunity fret. But certainly there has never been a better time to ask it than today.

 

From the giants of the 18th century, we've shrunk to the midgets of the 21st. From mighty men of ideas and morals eschewing an aristocracy and pursuing a just and fair nation, we've crumbled to little people of grasping and greed, pursuing a plutocracy, grasping for power and lucre. From the writers of the Bill of Rights for all, we've fallen to would-be destroyers of rights for many; from those who bravely battled a military mammoth for Truth, we've shriveled to those who beat their chests over crushing a military ant for lies, who show no decent respect for the opinions of mankind.

 

So I thought, until a few days later, as I herded with fellow bovines in Atlanta at the World of Coca-Cola, waiting to pay good money for the privilege of being inundated by ads for Coca-Cola. That made me worry a truth may have become self-evident--quality of leadership reflects its follower sheep."

 

Not only does Mr. Allan sum up the problem with elegant simplicity, he puts the blame squarely where it belongs: on us. I suggest we all hang on to this article and reread it when Election Day rolls around.

[Shotokan_Fighter]

what are you talking about??

[sansoouser]

lol shotokan i am envious to your clueless uh ness

 

but by the way what the heck are you saying?

[ZR440]

The article is asking why our leadership is so weak considering the population size we are able to choose from. It points to how the Framers of the Constitution were cast from a very small population, yet, were of better quality compared to what we have today. So the question is why?

 

One side note that might be worth mentioning. Quite a few of the Framers/supporters were not just average people during that time. Many were wealthy businessmen (bankers, lawyers, etc.) put their life on the line to become free. A fair amount of these men lost their lives, property and family when the British found out who they were. Today, many of our political leaders are still businessmen (and women), but do you think they would risk their life for even a lesser cause?