Posted by
Ron Devito on Monday, May 30, 2011 8:52:57 PM
Mount Vernon was amazing, really something special.
I’ve said before that George Washington is my favorite Founding
Father because he was reluctant to serve, and yet he rose to the great
challenges before him. I can certainly see why he dreaded leaving his
home on the Potomac. His servant's heart is an inspiration to us all.
When Piper laid the wreath at George Washington's tomb this
afternoon, I wished that every American school student could be here to
see and feel the spirit of our nation's first father. Even Piper was
able to grasp the significance of being in the presence of our first
President - who had such diverse interests - when she told me later "how
hard he must have worked to keep that farm going!" And then she added,
"And can you believe he was a commercial fisherman, from DC?!"
There's so much to learn and absorb at Mt. Vernon. Washington was a
very busy man who had a healthy reluctance to serve as President after
having dedicated so many precious years in service to others while he
lead the military. When he accepted the call to be our nation's first
chief executive, he served for the right reasons. Though he loved his
home at Mt. Vernon so much, this self-taught, "non politician" was
willing to sacrifice his passion for farming, fishing, trade and
commerce in order to answer another call of to lead the new nation.
Visiting Washington's home today with fellow citizens from all across
the country, including Maryland, Oklahoma, Michigan, Tennessee,
Louisiana, and Idaho reminds us of our common bond. That bond can be
summed up in Washington's prayer that you can find at his tomb. It reads
in part, "I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have the
United States in his holy protection...to dispose us all to do Justice,
to love mercy...which were the Characteristics of the Devine Author of
our blessed Religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example
in these things, we can never hope to be a happy Nation. Amen." (June 8,
1783)
And amen!
I encourage every American to travel east to Mt. Vernon. Beautiful.
Educational. Inspiring. Worth it. And the caretakers and tour guides
there are superb. They're so proud that the estate, museum and gardens
are privately operated and funded. Their patience with visitors and care
for Washington's land and possessions is a testament to their passion
for restoring a part of America's strong foundation. Their conscientious
work is another reason to be proud to be American!
The Archives and Mount Vernon. Can you tell I'm fired up?!
- Sarah Palin
As published at SarahPAC:
Greetings from the road in Maryland!