Tuesday Tidbit

Tidbit #3

Our Government
I thought in light of the inauguration today I
would post something about our government. Can I just say I am very grateful that no one in
this country has "absolute power!" We have this beautiful system of checks and
balances.

As Daniel and I traveled last fall and saw
the sites in Washington DC and through out Virginia it reaffirmed to me what a blessed country
we live in. The men who risked everything to establish this country were absolutely
brilliant.

We went to the homes of four of our founding
fathers. Each man was different. Many of them did not get along with each other. But their
differences are what brought about the richness of our country.
(George
Washington's Grave)
George
Washington: He was a military man. He spent part of his youth as a land
surveyor in the colony of Virginia. He served in the French and Indian War. His experiences
proved invaluable when he became our General. From what I can gather he was quiet, private
sort of man who did not seek glory. He simply offered his services and was grateful for the
opportunity to help.
(Bust
of James Madison in his home)
James Madison:
The Father
of the Constitution. He was bright and alert with a mind that worked well
until his dying day. His brilliance also contributed to the first ten amendments, the Bill of
Rights.

(Monticello - Home of Thomas Jefferson)
Thomas
Jefferson: I think he is my favorite. I believe his appreciation of the
world around him helped him when constructing the Declaration
of Independence. His opinion of a minimalist government contrasted by
John Adams,
who favored a strong Federal Government, contributed to why we ended up with the system we
did. Jefferson was an inventor, a religious man, a horticulturist, a man who's descriptive
records of places have helped historians today immensely. Just a quick side note - his
description of the Governor's
Palace at Colonial
Williamsburg
helped restorers recreate and rebuild the building after it was burned in 1781. (Governor's Palace in Colonial Williamsburg)

(Ash-Lawn Highland - home of James Monroe, close to
Monticello)
James Monroe: He was
a lawyer. He fought in the Revolutionary War and was our Fifth President. He was not a member
of the early Congresses who met and established this country. But he was the man who, under
Jefferson's guidance, purchased the Louisiana Territory from the French. Who can argue that he
was key in the early years of our country. Who else can claim they more than doubled our
country's size for a mere $15 mil.? That and he had very a interesting daughter who was
friends with the Bonapartes, yes as in Napoleon.

Even
though our country is young, it has a very rich history. A God blessed history. It will be
interesting to watch what our next president does, how he influences our country for the
coming generations. Good Luck President Obama.