“Someone once said that every man is trying to live up to his father’s expectations or make up for their father’s mistakes….”
― Barack Obama
The role of the father figure, like a well-worn script, has transformed over the years. Once tasked with ensuring the family’s prosperity and safety, he now grapples with a broader canvas—a societal stage where expectations stretch beyond the hearth. Consider George Washington, that stoic sentinel of the fledgling nation. Curiously, he bore no biological offspring, yet history anointed him “the father of the nation.” His progeny, it seems, was the land itself.
George and Martha Washington, childless by blood, nonetheless presided over a bustling household at Mount Vernon. There, they raised not only Mrs. Washington’s two children but also her four grandchildren, along with a motley crew of nieces and nephews.
George, that enigmatic statesman, commanded respect. His bearing bespoke authority, and he carried himself as a man destined for the annals of history. No prying drones hovered over his shoulder, scrutinizing his every move. Instead, he stood tall, head held high, the embodiment of leadership. Revered and followed, he was the steward of dreams yet unborn.
But what does this national father figure look like? Can he be a man who silences dissent with hush money? Joseph Stalin, once lauded as the “Father of Nations,” or Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh, come to mind. But is a true leader merely a strongman, or should he foster unity while respecting individual rights and national sovereignty?
Monarchy or bureaucracy, the rot sets in all the same. A king may wear a crown, but corruption finds a way. In a system, the blame gets murky, lost in the labyrinth of rules. No one’s hand is dirty, but the nation gets sick all the same.
Immigration. A story as old as borders themselves. Every nation faces it, yet no one wants the job. The U.S. grapples with it along its southern border. Venezuelans stream across, adding their woes to the already overflowing cup. Numbers become the enemy – 43,000 Russians, 42,000 Indians, a tide of humanity. A problem both sides agree on, at least. But solutions? In that murky water, who knows what lurks?
Or is it time to question this grand promise of transparency and accountability? Perhaps a return to local control, with clear lines of authority, might be a more pragmatic solution. As Shakespeare reminds us, “It is a wise father that knows his own child.” We, the people, must recognize the limitations of leadership and forge a path towards a more sustainable future.
In the footsteps of John Huston, stylistic kleptomaniac, Gemini.
