Rest Day Read (SR-32)
excerpt from 1776 by David McCullough
Chapter Two
Rabble in Arms
“His commitment to the Glorious Cause, as it was called, was total. And if his youth was obvious, the Glorious Cause was to a large degree a young man’s cause. The commander in chief of the army, George Washington, was himself only forty-three. John Hancock, the President of the Continental Congress, was thirty-nine, John Adams, forty, Thomas Jefferson, thirty-two, younger even than the young Rhode Island general (Nathaniel Greene). In such times many were being cast in roles seemingly beyond their experience or capacities…”
The Power of Youth is endless. The Energy of Youth is boundless. The Potential of Youth is immeasurable. I have worked with young athletes for over a decade and I have seen their potential, energy and power first hand. I believe in these young people, they can do incredible things if and when they set their minds to it. I believe they will be able to rise to the occasion when their time arrives. I believe they will be able to solve the “big” problems. I believe they will pick up the balls we have dropped, clean up the messes we have made and ultimately save our asses from ourselves. Have at it, kids!
P.S. I do find it absolutely amazing that right now, I am two years OLDER than General Washington was at the start of the Revolution. This group of amazing young minds and wills not only liberated a young America from England, then the greatest power on the face of the planet, but they also dreamed, devised and implemented the greatest social-political system in the history of civilization. I guess it is past time for me to get to work.
Tag Archives: George Washington
The Power of Youth
We hold these truths to be self-evident…
Rest Day Read (SR-29)
The Declaration of Independence (Preamble) by John Adams
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. ”
Goosebumps. Yes, goosebumps. I get them every time I read these words. These words ring true across the chasm of time and space. Beautiful, powerful words. Words we, as Americans, have responsibility to live by and live up to. Unrest and unease in our nation, dissatisfaction and frustration at an all time high. Corruption, influence peddling, a ever bloated, ineffectual federal government, fueled by paranoia and distrust. It appears we have drifted from the course so eloquently laid out and fought for by the Founding Fathers.
Is it time for a revolution? I don’t know. I really don’t think the taking up of arms against our government will solve any problems. But you know, there is a solution. And that solution is an inalienable right passed down to each of us through the centuries by the architects of the Great American Democracy; the right to vote. Too simple? I think not. Right now we are a federal governing body whose inability to tackle and solve the biggest problems in our country is costing us and our future citizenry dearly.
And why have we become only right and only left in our government?
I heard a political scientist who researches these issues theorize that our government has become so polar because we have a less than 30% of the registered voters in this country actually exercising their right to vote. He went on to explain that most of these 30% are polar right or left and are angry enough or issue driven enough to actually get out and vote, so their polarizing candidate become the ones elected. His suggestion for real change in this country and to establish real order is to motivate the masses to vote. Motivate the masses, thus electing more middle of the road candidates, who agendas are more in line with the voting populace and provide a real stabilizing force for our nation.
I often wonder what the Founding Fathers would think if they came back to USA 2010. Would they consider their project a failure? Would they feel let down and abandoned? Did they design gridlock intentionally to make sure no huge mistakes or power abuses occur by Congress?
Thomas, John, George? Anyone? Anyone? I need your help. I just don’t know…
THE COACH HAYS 