His Excellency: The Greatest American Ever

Tim's answer to question one made me chuckle, it was a good answer, that who governs least governs best. William Harrison certainly fit that description, but that, along with question number 4, made me think about my favorite president, who is my hero, and committed the most important act in American history.  It is easily the most important event in our history, yet it is not widely taught in our schools, it is not celebrated, and it occured before the Constitution was even signed. Incidently enough, the event occurs right next to Christmas, and I think it fitting, as it is the greatest gift we Americans have ever recieved.

Because on that day December 23, 1776, General George Washington Commander in Chief of the Continental Armies of America formally resigned his military commission and returned military power back to the continental congress. George Washington could have used his armies to claim a crown, and many of his soldiers wanted him to do just that, yet George Washington refused to do so. And in the tradition of the great Cincinnatus voluntarily gave up absolute power.

This act was so monumentous, and unheard of, that even King George expressed admiration for the man. It is just as impressive today as it was over 200 years ago. Did Castro return power to the people? Did Lenin. Did Mao? No they did not. In my mind, George Washington's act, is one of the very reasons why we did not suffer under a reign of terror, unlike revolutionary France, and it set the tone of our nation from the get go. How could any other man think of grabbing the reigns of power, when George Washington, known as His Excellency by his men, refused to do so?

For this reason, and this reason alone, George Washington is the only man ever to have deserved the presidency.  He is the only man that can honestly claim to have occupied the office without ever desiring power because his previous actions almost two decades ago when he refused power.  I have few men that I idolize, that I think of as heroes, who I can say that I love. George Washington is among those men.


Mr. Washington, is the greatest American ever.

Founding Fathers: James Madison Supports the 2nd Amendment

And another founding father who would utterly disagree that claims that the 2nd amendment is not about fighting tyranny. James Madison, 4th president of the United States, also known as the father of of the constitution. That is right ladies and gentleman, he is the man who wrote the thing, and if anyone should have insight into exactly what the 2nd amendment means, it would be this gentleman. 

"Americans have the right and advantage of being armed - unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms." (James Madison, The Federalist Papers #46 at 243-244)

Seems pretty clear to me. Kind of hard to claim that the founders didn't intend the American people to own weapons to fight government tyranny when the man who wrote the thing says otherwise in plain English.

 

Founding Fathers And the 2nd Amendment: Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton is probably the least liked of the founding fathers among the libertarian/conservative austrians among us. He was America's first secretary of the treasury and largely responsible for America's first attempt at a national bank, the reason why so many men loath him. I do not share those feelings for Hamilton, even though I do not like the idea of the national bank. Hamilton, for all his faults, fought for liberty; how many statist in office can say the same today?  And when it comes to the 2nd I have no disagreement with him.

"...but if circumstances should at any time oblige the government to form an army of any magnitude, that army can never be formidable to the liberties of the people, while there is a large body of citizens, little if at all inferior to them in discipline and use of arms, who stand ready to defend their rights..." (Alexander Hamilton speaking of standing armies in Federalist 29.)

 

Founding Fathers 2nd Amendment Rights: Not Just A Good Beer...

But a wise man as well:

"The Constitution shall never be construed....to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms" (Samuel Adams, Debates and Proceedings in the Convention of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 86-87)

Founding Father 2nd Amendment Opinion: Tench Cox

One of the arguments prohibitionists, and even those who wouldn't be inclined to prohibitionist if they were more informed, often ask why would an average man need to own an assault rifle? Sometimes they might even say that the 2nd amendment doesn't protect the assault rifles from confiscation because the founders would have had no idea about the weapons we would have today.  The logic is foolish, and dangerous, considering that it could be extended to our other liberties expressly protected in the constitution, and it is somewhat insulting to our founders, they lived in an age of rapid scientific discovery. They saw the discovery of electricity and the beginnings of the industrial age. I find it doubtful that the founders didn't anticipate new weaponry being invented and accessible to the people.

Even then it didn't matter. As the founders were concerned about liberty, and they new that if the discrepancy between the people and the state ever became to large that tyranny would result.  One man, someone who you probably haven't heard of, made their views on the matter abundantly clear. He was a member of the continental congress, the group that drafted the constitution:

"Congress have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American... The unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state government, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people" (Tench Coxe, Pennsylvania Gazette, Feb. 20, 1788)

Tench Coxe makes it abundantly clear that Americans are have to have the weaponry available to the soldiers in the military of the United States available to them. The ability to own, carry and use an assault rifle, and whatever future weapon is invented, is our birthright. It is how we secure our freedoms, and can honestly call ourselves a free man. Because a man disarmed is not truly a free men but a man whose liberties simply privileges extended by his betters.