On Being George Washington"
by Glenn Beck
I was reluctant too read "On Being George Washington" by Glenn Beck. Glenn Beck is an entertainer who happens to espouse many things I agree with in terms of limited government, the need for moral character and the presence of a strong family. I also see a person who has access and presence in the media and who profits from that access so I am wary of anything he originates. I wonder if he is genuine or merely peddling a popular message for the profit. This book appeared, to me, to be just another trinket written and published for the financial gain. It was purchased and given to me as a gift by a family member. So that means I may read it reluctantly (but I do read it).I have taken so many years of history in my schooling and how could this book add substantially to that? What could this book tell me about our country that has not already been revealed in my elementary, junior high, high school and college history courses on the United States of America? The book was given to me (by my daughter) and so I felt obliged to read it.
The book takes great care to describe the emotions and insights of George Washington at key moments. Often this requires a reconstruction of the events, an examination of the context and a careful consideration of the who and where and what when decisions were made. The author does very often reference original writings of Washington himself and his contemporaries and this stand in contrast to the experience in school of reading a textbook with little original source material presented.
The George Washington as a young man and reconstruction of his early military experiences provided significant insight and back drop to the man who would later lead a rag tag army of under compensated rebels against a world power (England).
The treatment of Benedict Arnold was particularly enlightening for me. The personal investment George Washington made in Benedict Arnold, the circumstances of his betrayal[ helped me understand George Washington. How does a great man respond to such devastating information? This book tells that story in a way that allows one to have a greater understanding and appreciation for how our founder dealt with such tragedy.
The depiction of the generosity, patience and gentle manner of George Washington in social and formal settings is not something peripheral to the need of a fledgling democracy. The manner and approach he displayed were critical to uniting so many different peoples in very diverse states and localities.
His awareness of the importance of his deliberations and actions is a reflective trait that was critical to the success on the military field and in the politics. The struggle he had with slavery is also quite telling and the release of all his slaves with the passing of his wife is telling of that struggle. This issue of race is hard in a melting pot nation and I was glad this was addressed.
This book introduced my a man I never knew. He was a person who also had a huge impact on the founding of the country and society I live in. Finally after 20 years of formal schooling I met George Washington. How sad that it took 6 decades and that is did not occur in the classrooms and textbooks used to form me as a citizen.
Now I realize that this type of book clearly fills a niche and meets a real need. While I was aware that George Washington was a key person in there was never a course or teacher that thought it was important that I know who George Washington was. Never do I remember being informed of how important the "invisible hand" was to George Washington at key moments in his life and in the life of our emerging nation. The book, while focused on dramatizing the emotions and thoughts of this leader, did reveal to me something that was NEVER revealed to me in my formal history classes. I met a man named George Washington and I am so sad that my educators, in the rush to get through the revolution and sell me on the need for big government, robbed me of getting to know this great man and the ideals that guided his decisions and actions. Instead of learning about a founder of our country in an "educational" it was deemed unimportant enough to examine. I was robbed for many years but thank goodness for earnest entertainers like Glenn Beck and family members (like my daughter) who want to help make me richer.
The author calls on us to be "George Washington". In my reading of this book George Washington was a soldier and leader serving us all. The reality and evidence of his honor, integrity, humility and faith is important to those of us who need to know how to be good citizens.
