GEORGE WASHINGTON: IN THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER

I’m a newspaper reader – especially when it's free. On my flight from Juneau to Anchorage this afternoon, someone left a copy on my seat of the Ketchikan Daily News – a newspaper I never read before.

A front page newspaper feature, “Ketchikan on The Street,” asked nine worthies the burning question, “What significance, if any, does George Washington have on American life today?” An appropriate question, since today February 22nd is George Washington’s Birthday. Most of the responses were predictable – as one would hope.

However, a Mr. Dave Rayner responded, “During the Revolutionary War he made a bundle. I want to see capital punishment for corruption.” Newsflash: George Washington is very dead. The question of capital punishment is moot. Maybe Mr. Rayner would like to include capital punishment for corruption in the ethics bill we’re putting together!!

A Mr. Kerwin Carter also responded to the question about George Washington, and I quote, “He was a destroyer of towns of Indian Natives back East before he was president. He was employed by the British Army. He burned quite a few towns.” Wow!! I never knew Washington was a pyromaniac. As a matter of information, my 5th Great-Grand Uncle Van Buskirk was shot and Aunt Van Buskirk were tomahawked and scalped by Indians 16 miles north of Wheeling, West Virginia in 1792. Newsflash: The year is 2007. In the immortal words of Rodney King, “Can’t we all just get along?"