Character and the Foundation of Our Country

It seems that most of us think of George Washington when we consider the beginning stages of the foundation that was built for us to have our freedoms, our own Country. Stories unfold regarding the men, the weather and the lack of logistical support that found so many men without boots or even food in the middle of winter. Those were only part of the sacrifices that were overcome through the good character of men.

Of all the men that took part in those tough times, one in particular, brings about a strange consideration. Initially, he was described as the hero of Saratoga. As a result of that, he earned respect and admiration among the commanders of the Continental Army and he was almost always called for his opinion when strategies for upcoming battles were discussed.

Oddly enough, that man was Benedict Arnold, one of the most notorious traitors in American history. Whether you call him a traitor or a turncoat, his actions typify the point that has to be made about Character. I say that to point out the falsehood and deception that existed when he first came on the scene and how that so radically differed from the realities of who he was.

I can well imagine the shock, in the ranks our men, that came when he joined the British and we discovered that he was a traitor with the worst kind of character. It was clear, when he turned over the plans of the Fort located at West Point, that he was not only a traitor but a traitor who had a specific goal to crush the newly hoped for freedoms of the patriots who were dying for the Continental Army in their pursuit of a United States.

Not only did he have that goal, he was more than willing to participate in the specifics that would bring about the death of Americans who were fighting for their Independence. I suppose that we were lucky to not have more of his type during that stage of our history but despite that, despite the damage he did, we managed to overcome that kind of treachery.

I can't help but think about more modern times and how Jane Fonda played into the role of traitor during our lifetime. Even though she didn't turn over any plans of fortifications or layouts of our fire bases, she did play an important role in the public opinion war that was being waged by our enemy. About that, there is no doubt.

Unfortunately, history has shown that it's clear that there are always people of poor character among us and that the old adage "Be Ever Vigilant" was made for a very good reason.

For no other reason than establishing a point about Character and how careful we must be before we assume that someone has good character, we have rock solid evidence to support claims that sometimes a traitor's best weapon is hidden beneath an appearance of good character,

Before I move on to the leaders we had in the late 1800's, I wanted to mention these things so that the readers would  NOT be complacent about this article and assume that I'm on a horn tooting trip to recognize and honor the men that have led us along the way. That's not what this article is about.

I'm not here to entertain, I'm here to share information and present evidence. You may take it any way you wish, you may like it or hate it, but in any event, please try to keep an open mind as there are other tales of this as our history unfolded.

I'm going to move on to Teddy Roosevelt in a short period of time but I just wanted to get this much of it started before I fall off this chair. If you will just hang in there, I will get it done and there is a point here. Thanks for your patience. Tim.