What Would Washington Do?
The thought came to me today after listening to a week-long or more discussion about what should be done about this or that problem in our world and how to get the nation back on the right course. After listening to endless debates about the view of one party or another, one political candidate or another ... the thought, the question really, just popped into my mind ... "What would George Washington do ...?" He was, after all, the first American President, and one of the most important of our founding fathers, at least as far as North America and the United States of America is concerned.
40 Guns to Apache Pass
I also watched an old Audie Murphy movie called 40 Guns to Apache Pass this morning. I couldn't help thinking what a strange world we live in where values get turned around, depending on your point of view, either upside down or right side up. This was your typical American Western from back in the old West. The story represented some location in the southwestern US sometime after the Civil War, where tensions still remained high between settlers, Apache Indians, and Southern Confederate soldiers who had joined the blue coats after the war was over. The Cavalry soldiers were there to protect a small community of settlers, including women and children, from marauding Indians, and other more unscrupulous bad guys, notably greedy white gun runners who, in this case, were considered the traitors and turncoats against the US Cavalry. The Traitors, in this instance, intended to sell 40 rifles to the Indians to obtain about 30,000 to 40,000 dollars worth of Gold that the Indians possessed.
After the turncoat profiteering traitors had deserted the Cavalry leaving the character played by Audie Murphy to die in the dusty desert, it appears all is lost for the film's hero. But in the end, through his craftiness, skill, and some daring help from another young but confused soldier, he once again gets the upper hand, almost single-handedly defeats the Apache warriors, tracks down the greedy deserters and kills them, and then returns what's left of the 40 rifles to his commanding officer. The small community of settlers is once again safe. Having saved the day, he is welcomed back as a hero, gets the girl, and lives happily ever after.
I've watched and enjoyed many films just like this one. These conventional Westerns were standard entertainment for us growing up in the early 1960s. This film, produced in 1967, was just one of hundreds and hundreds of movies in that genre and from that era. But it got me thinking, which is often a dangerous past-time of mine. In today's world, there is a different way to view this story and this character, and how he was initially conceived and intended to be understood when the film was made.
By today's standards and attitudes, it could be seen that the Indians were simply trying to obtain weapons to protect their families and homelands. The unscrupulous profiteers, hoping to get Gold for the sale of the guns, could be seen as good guys helping the Indians, and the hero could be seen as an anti-hero, in that while he kept the weapons out of the hands of the Indians, he wasn't doing them any favors. While protecting the settlers, he had to kill several Indians, who may or may not have been entirely innocent, depending on unestablished facts that we will likely never know with complete certainty.
But it is apparent in the film that the profiteers were the bad guys and had no real intention of helping the Indians or the settlers and were only in it for the money. They had plans to escape with the Gold acquired by theft of Cavalry property. Had their plan succeeded, they could have fled across the border into Mexico, where neither soldiers nor the long arm of the Law could catch them.
My point in all this, and with the review of the film, is that today we live in a highly complex world where often up is down, and down is up. It is confusing in a world where what is fair and proper is no longer seen as absolute but exists on a sliding scale that breeds daily uncertainty. Culturally we are changing; technologically, we are changing. Many human values are changing for many people, and long-held beliefs are often understood differently today than they were even just a few short years ago.
Future Shock
This brings me back to the perilous state of the world and the body politic, with wars and rumors of war and terrorist threats from within and without. We are all suffering a bit of Future Shock as we try to figure out which way is up and where we really stand on the critical issues of the day as we try our best to adapt to a world in flux. And that brought me to the question, "What would George Washington do ...? The question has little to do with the morality of mankind as portrayed in the film but rather the question of what should be done regarding the more significant issues facing our world today and the urgency pushed forward by strident voices from both the right and from the left. Can't we find a better way, "What would George Washington do ...?
Addendum: What would George Washington do ...? We have an answer. He would issue a Proclamation like the one he did on October 3rd, 1789.
"Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor -- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
"Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be -- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks -- for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation -- for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war -- for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed -- for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted -- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
"And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions -- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually -- to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed -- to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord -- To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us -- and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best."
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