Ben Franklin would be (if he were alive) 305 years old this week. At this ancient age, it’s interesting to wonder what he would think if he were to come back for a birthday visit. Would we, as a country, be able to give him a birthday present of his visions realized? Would he be pleasantly surprised…or disappointed?
Ben the Birthday Boy was a renaissance man who had creative ideas on many important aspects of life. He seemed to have an adage for everything. Did he follow through on them? There were a few subjects that were near and dear to Ben that are still very much a part of this country’s consciousness in 2011.
As one of the founding fathers, Franklin’s signature is on all five of the documents that established the United States. He once stated “I look on the dignity of the American Congress equal to any assembly on earth.” Everyone in the Constitutional Convention came to the table from various walks of life. They were farmers, ministers, lawyers, and even blacksmiths. They each
volunteered to help to form this young country. Even Ben came to the convention as a retired printer! He considered it a privilege to serve his country in this capacity. He also felt Congress should not be paid for their work. He reasoning was that the laws makers would be equally affected by the laws they created as the average citizen.
Ben always stuck me as the “Sherriff Andy Taylor” of the young government. He always remained calm during the heated arguments / debates during the ratification of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He did this by relating folksy anecdotes, not unlike the fictional sheriff, to bring the rhetoric back to a more civil and productive tone.
Mr. Franklin also believed the key to a successful life was education. He once said “Genius without education is like silver in the mine”. To Franklin, education was a gift to be shared. He was always interested in the improvement of the condition of mankind. Franklin and other businessmen of his area founded Junto, a group consisting of elite intellectuals who were the core of cultural life and politics in Philadelphia. He was also one of the founders of what would become the University of Pennsylvania.
In 1731, few of these Junto members owned their own books, and thus could not turn to the written word to settle disputes or increase their knowledge. However, together, they had more purchasing power! Franklin and fellow Junto members drew up Articles of Agreement to form a library. Fifty members became subscribers invested 40 shillings each to start a library. These members also promised to invest 10 additional shillings every year to buy books and to help maintain the library. Today, there are over 120,000 libraries in the United States. From books, to periodicals, CDs, DVDs, video-- libraries carry forms of educational materials Franklin could never even have dreamed of in 1731!
Benjamin Franklin was considered by many to be the most approachable and likable of the founding fathers. He once said “Be civil to all; sociable to many, familiar with few, friend to one, enemy to none.” Ben lived these words. If he didn’t, how could he be known as the great statesman who negotiated with the King and Queen of France to gain financial support for a Revolution fought to abolish monarchial rule in the Colonies? He accomplished this with, among other talents of persuasion, civility and respect. The lack of these two virtues, so to speak, have been in the news a lot lately. If we looked back to other times of crisis in our country’s history, we might find that more often than not, calmly and civilly solving problems often go the farthest to achieve our goals.
Well Ben, did you get a pleasant birthday surprise, or have we failed miserably? This country is always a work in progress, as anything worthwhile should be. Are we going in the right direction? Or do we need to turn 360 degrees to get back on track? Remember, as Franklin said, “Energy and persistence conquer all things.”
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