:The appeal of power has been the downfall of mankind since the beginning of time. Eve ate the forbidden fruit upon hearing the promise that she would have the power to know good and evil. Throughout history countless potentially good rulers have fallen into the trappings of the appeal of power (for example, Saul of the Old Testament). Many kings have had masses of people put to death out of the fear of losing power (King Herod, for example, when he massacred the babies in Bethlehem). Yet George Washington conquered the evil that few have been able to resist; he turned down power for the sake of the greater good, forgoing kingship, a third term as president and the opportunity to take revenge (as in the case of “Citizen Gent”). Washington’s exceptional resistance of this common weakness played an essential part in making our nation exceptional. (Rachel N.) | :The appeal of power has been the downfall of mankind since the beginning of time. Eve ate the forbidden fruit upon hearing the promise that she would have the power to know good and evil. Throughout history countless potentially good rulers have fallen into the trappings of the appeal of power (for example, Saul of the Old Testament). Many kings have had masses of people put to death out of the fear of losing power (King Herod, for example, when he massacred the babies in Bethlehem). Yet George Washington conquered the evil that few have been able to resist; he turned down power for the sake of the greater good, forgoing kingship, a third term as president and the opportunity to take revenge (as in the case of “Citizen Gent”). Washington’s exceptional resistance of this common weakness played an essential part in making our nation exceptional. (Rachel N.) |