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The strength of any family is founded in the lessons taught by its Parents. What a child learns at a young age is carried with them until they are adults, and then they pass that knowledge on to their children as well. But the most important lessons are not about math, science or history. The most important lessons are those taught in the realm of philosophy, and faith, and honor. These aren’t lessons that can or should be limited to the teachers in a school, but should be emphasized by those role models who should have the greatest influence on a child’s life: their PARENTS.

But, for many of us, our American Society has faltered from this belief. Hillary Clinton, for example, made the argument that it “Takes a Village” to raise a child. I respectfully disagree. It takes a parent…whether it be a Mother or a Father, or preferably BOTH…to teach by EXAMPLE those lessons that define the Men and Women that our children should become. Unfortunately, that can’t always be the case. My father died when I was 12 years old, but what I learned from him I carry with me to this day, and I consider myself lucky to have had him until then. Some kids aren’t that lucky, so they turn to other role models to guide their actions, but modern heroes like Rock Stars, Athletes and even Modern Politicians fall short of the kind of examples that our kids SHOULD follow.

Instead, let me tell you about some REAL Role Models. Men like Benjamin Franklin who said, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” This is a man who attended school for only one year, but then taught the nation throughout his life in terms of Common Sense and Honor. Seeing a need to make indoor cooking and heating safer in Colonial and Revolutionary Days, he invented the pot bellied stove, which would save countless lives from fire and smoke inhalation. And he exemplified the spirit of Charity by donating the PATENT for this invention to the American People. Unlike modern inventors who make fortunes from their Patents, Franklin saw the benefit of making this innovation as widely available as possible for the good of the People, and not in terms of money, but in terms of Honor.

Let me tell you a little about our Second President, John Adams. A lawyer and farmer, John Adams had almost no political ambitions of his own, but he believed in the depths of his soul that the law should be equal; blind to color, faith or politics; and that JUSTICE should always prevail. After the Boston Massacre, it was Adams who served as the defense for the British Officer and Troops being tried for murder. His arguments saved their lives, and proved that American Civilization was not about mob rule, but the equal application of law! During and following the Revolution, he stood as the barometer of Justice, arguing that no law should be written that favored one group over another. He took on the burden of participating in the Government, not out of personal ambition, but as a sacrifice to see it done right. He is quoted as saying, “I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy.” He stood true to his personal convictions, even though that meant he would be disliked by his peers, an example followed by his son, John Quincy Adams, who served as our Sixth President!

John’s cousin, Samuel Adams, also stood as a man of Honor and Integrity. He was quoted as saying, “He who is void of virtuous attachments in private life is, or very soon will be, void of all regard for his country. There is seldom an instance of a man guilty of betraying his country, who had not before lost the feeling of moral obligations in his private connections.” He had little taste for Politics and, with the exception of his service in the Continental Congress, Sam Adams never rose to Federal Government, seeking to serve his state as Governor and State Congressman.  In regards to Slavery, he was diametrically opposed to it. It is said that any slave brought into his home left as a free man. And in regards to respect, though strictly adhering to his own beliefs, he never denied any other their right to their own beliefs. It is from Samuel Adams that we can best learn the difference between Tolerance and Apathy, for he was TOLERANT of another’s beliefs, but only so long as it did not infringe on the Liberty of others…namely, slaves.

Thomas Jefferson may have been the most eloquent of our Founding Fathers, as he was the one charged with the writing of the Declaration of Independence. He argued that “All Men are Created Equal” and share the rights to “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” He was opposed to any Government powerful enough to infringe upon those rights, even to the point of creating an irreparable rift between himself and John Adams over the formation of our Federal Government. The father of the early Republican Party, Jefferson believed in the Liberties of Man over the Power of Government, and the Duties of the States over the Authority of the Federal Government. Above all, Jefferson believed in the duty of every person to reach their own conclusions in life, to “Question with Boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear.” Jefferson understood that no one should be afraid to think for themselves, and no one should have the power to infringe upon that right to do so.

James Madison was among those who argued most vehemently regarding protecting the rights and freedoms of the People in the writing the Constitution. A Federalist, Madison fought for a small Federal Government restricted to a handful of duties, including the Provision of Defense, the Promotion of Welfare (Commerce) and the Establishment of Justice. He believed that the Power must always remain in the hands of the People, and that “All men having power ought to be distrusted to a certain degree.” Yet he also encouraged that power to be exercised by the population at all costs, understanding that, “As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed.” From Madison, we can learn Patience and Understanding.

Finally, I give you our First President, George Washington. Serving as General of the Continental Army, he stood on the front lines with his men, fighting alongside them in the bitter cold and blazing heat of battle. He did so for honor and freedom, not profit. When the war was over, he surrendered his Commission and returned, silently, to his home. Unlike other Revolutionary Leaders in history, it was not POWER that he craved, but FREEDOM! Washington had no children of his own, but proudly stood as a stepfather to his wife’s two children from her previous marriage, of which she had been widowed. He never wavered from his duty, though, even though he has quoted as crying, “Have I not done enough for my Country?” Fearing the collapse of the Continental Congress before completing the creation of our Constitution, Washington was recalled to Philadelphia to serve not as an active participant, but as an observer who, through his very presence, inspired courage and compromise among its writers. George Washington was not elected to office by the Population, but selected by that Congressional Body to serve as our First President, knowing that every word, every action, and every misstep would be interpreted and reviewed for guidance in future Administrations. He was the ultimate Role Model for the Nation, cheered by the People, revered by his Peers, and an inspiration of Honor and Justice even today! But, perhaps most importantly, George Washington understood that the People must always take the Personal Responsibility for their own lives, and never surrender that Responsibility to the Government! “Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action.”

Some may say that this post is longwinded, or idealistic, but I see it as a salute to Fathers throughout our Country. Just as we Conservatives look to these men as inspiration and for guidance, your children look to YOU for their inspiration. As we learn from them, they will learn from you, not because of what you say, but because of what you do. Always remember these words of Thomas Jefferson: “Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.”

With this in mind, I wish you all a Happy Founding Father’s Day!

Filed under: Miscellaneous, Politics by T. Edwin Perry