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| Pat Garrett - Guts, Gumption and Courage |
© 2015 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. "The
one thing I want to leave my children is an honorable name." Theodore
Roosevelt
Even more modern presidents like
Theodore Roosevelt are legitimately under attack for their flaws. And all
forty-three men who have taken the oath of office for the presidency are
flawed. There are some flawed with graft, some with goofy ideas and some with
being intentionally ignorant in times of crisis.
This is not a black and white issue.
We must view our leaders in a more mature way than these protesters are doing.
There is a more compelling story about the founding leaders clear up to our
leaders today: what did they do for the ages.
That is the yardstick for me: what
did these leaders do that others could not or would not such that we have the
country we have today. Our country has brought freedom to other countries by
example and by fighting wars, not for our own gain, but to insure freedom from
dictators for other people.
As to our founding leaders and the
complaints currently about them: all of the leaders who founded our country
either were slave holders or did not effectively resist the holding of slaves.
That much is true. And we cannot change that flaw in them.
Some people suggest we even change
the name of our national capital because George Washington was a slave holder.
The angels on earth who created liberty for much of the world were flawed
humans. Yet through their actions we have our freedom today.
But in the arena of public opinion there
is an outcry to cleanse our national history of those who were flawed. And it
is every leader we have ever had starting with the first ones during our Revolutionary
War. It is a mistake to not consider all of each man.
Thomas Jefferson is under attack and
unable to defend himself. He wrote for the ages, "We hold these truths to
be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness."
Yes Jefferson was a flawed man in
that he had slaves. And with Jefferson there are other things. But one of the
problems with revising history is can we do without the good just to punish the
bad?
There were arguably four men who
were essential to the Revolutionary War: George Washington who brilliantly
commanded the weaker American forces into ultimate victory: Samuel Adams who
provided the man-on-the-street leadership in effective citizen resistance; Benjamin
Franklin who got the French to side with our nation or we would not have won
and Thomas Jefferson who provided the words for our new country.
Alas, can we find anyone who is not
flawed? My favorite modern person, Martin Luther King, Jr. was certainly
flawed. Yet he wrote for the ages, "I have a dream that my four little
children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the
color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
In New Mexico we falsely worship a
rascal we call Billy the Kid and ignore a man, yes flawed, who is a hundred
times more interesting historically and as a member of our state: Pat Garrett.
He was flawed in some ways and a legend by his resolve and courage. He had
gumption and guts and ran toward the problem not away.
In no way do I advocate obscuring
the flaws of our leaders. We see that Americans in general have a simplistic
view of our presidents, "George Washington was the father of our country
and a good man." That is a disservice to their sacrifices.
We have had some bad actions by men in
the Oval Office which should be known. But ultimately let's take a look at
their entire effect upon our country.
Email: drswickard@comcast.net
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