After eight years, our first commander and chief was stepping down. George Washington was ready to retire from politics. Before he said goodbye, he had some advice for the nation. He wrote his Farewell Address in 1796. In the Address offered advice, while also warning citizens of the importance of preserving their country. In present day, we have not heaved his warnings and are currently seeing the effects of our actions. Americans whether native born or immigrants to the nation spilled blood so we could be free. George Washington made a point to state in his address, “The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations” …show more content…
Throughout their career something changes them. They get so caught up on the “issues” that are important to them, thus the country suffers. It turns into a game of tug of war. I recall a few years back the government was shut down because they could not agree on a budget. George Washington stated about politicians’ in his address, “that its administration in every department may be stamped with wisdom and virtue” (Washington). It does not seem wise to have citizens out of work due to differences in opinion. Washington might have been around long before these issues, however, he foreshadowed what would happen if we had different political parties. He stated, “They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common counsels and modified by mutual interests” (Washington). He knew if we were divided as a nation we would not function as one