Monday, July 4, 2016

Independence.... Happy Day

Happy 4th.

Mollie is taking an AP (Advanced Placement) history class this next year and she has to read a book, Founding Brothers and have a report due on the first day of school.

So we read the book together last month and it was fascinating. It was about the creation of the country. The real history of our first presidents and the creation of politics. Such as: George Washington could have had as many terms as he wished as President but he wanted to retire which is why he quit after two. Thus the two terms became de facto.

And presidents and vice presidents didn't run as teams. Just four separate men ran for office and the top two got the top two spots.

And Benjamin Franklin fought for the abolition of slavery before he died. And since he, like Washington, was an icon, he threw the entire Congress in a tizzy because they couldn't ignore him. Although ultimately they did and voted against abolition.

Our country's beginning was a fascinating one. Reading this book made me curious about reading more. We had some brilliant and brave founders. And this country was created with a vision that differs from what we all think.

Paying attention to the news, to our current politics... this is not what the founding brothers intended. This kind of politics was beneath the office. This hatred that plagues the country is 100% not what we were founded on.

I'm praying people start realizing that living in extremes works for nobody. We have to meet in the middle somehow. We need to start saving ourselves before it's too late.

2 comments:

  1. I aqgree with your last statement, but I'm not holding my breath. :-(

    Also, I believe FDR had four terms as president and Congress made two terms official after that. Prior to FDR there was nothing illegal about extra terms. Yes?

    ReplyDelete