No day is more suitable than today for reflecting on the greatness of our first president, George Washington. He was born on this date in 1732.
Nearly three centuries later, we marvel at his wise and stalwart guidance during the American Revolution and in the formative years of our United States of America.
Washington’s leadership was vital in throwing off the yoke of British tyranny and establishing the greatest, freest, richest country the world has ever known.
But Gen. Washington was not only “first in war” but also “first in peace” and “first in the hearts of his countrymen.”
Unwilling to establish anything akin to a monarchy in the United States, Washington declined to serve more than two terms as president. While more terms of service by a president of Washington’s stature and goodness might have seemed desirable in the short term, he surely knew that unlimited terms could become a curse on the nation if a power-hungry president took office.