Today we celebrate the sacrifice and leadership of George Washington. Without claiming our country being perfectly just, I must express that without his bravery, our country may not have been successfully liberated or as justly operated since it’s independence. It is hard to find leaders like Washington in modern history. A man who would run first into battle. Who bore the burden of service, not because he wanted the position, but because he was needed. Who put his trust in the most high… The modern world seems bereft of such leadership in governance.  Within the world’s citizens though, such valor is spreading far and wide at a time that it is most needed.

Upon reaching Saint Paul’s Church, where Washington frequently prayed, I shared some Baha’i prayers for him, offered thanks the martyrs who founded this great nation, and asked forgiveness for the transgressions of our past. Wall Street, is so named by the Dutch who erected a physical wall to keep the Algonquin natives off the stolen land. It is a mass burial ground. It was also the epicenter of our nation’s slave trade, and where Washington was inaugurated, despite himself having deep personal conflicts with slavery.

While walking down to Battery Park, where the clash of civilizations in the 18th century and the most bloody battles for independence took place, I could hardly believe the sad sight I saw. Some thirty tourists and locals, waiting in line to touch and take photos of… not of any of our historic sights or memorials to the martyrs of our country but a fucking bronz bull. The bull is guarded by one police vehicle and barricades, presumably to make it easier to worship. After the world suffered such a crash, after our planet has suffered such devastating destruction, the disintegration of values and perspective of our nation was, to me, epitomized by these people and enough to inspire me to directly act for the honor of the good Presidents like Washington, Jackson, Lincoln, Kennedy.

I stepped past the barricades and bull fans, who were dumbfounded by me walking like a free man, and I spat on the floor of that abomination. I read the placard of the mighty flapoll where the Union Flag was erected after the victory over the British, which rests no more than 7 feet from the bull’s ass, and left to see our Statue of Liberty before the sun completely set.  As the golden waves of the Hudson rippled off into the Atlantic I recited one last prayer for the triumph of justice and God’s cause, and ran back to my friend Al’s home.

At a time when the Washington memorial is riddled with cracks, when it seems our country is spiraling out of control into another endless war, when our Bill of Rights is left in tatters, and when Athens – the very birthplace of democracy – is aflame, I believe.. with all my heart that after being purged of it’s poisonous materialism, Godlessness, and prejudice… in what will seem like the end of all ends to some.. that our country will finally be free its intoxication with the material world, and for the resolute of this Millennial generation to found the most great peace and unity of mankind.  The old world is falling apart, and we need not worry about it.  All we need right now, just like our founding fathers, is to build.  Unlike them… we have something to work with.

God bless this nation, God bless the death of it’s past injustice and future renewal to justice, God bless the people who have risen up to meet the humanity’s greatest tests to come. May we have as much courage as our founding fathers, and look forward to the renewing fathers and mothers of what will become an awesome nation, worthy of it’s historic reputation, and lauded in all the world for inspiring true justice and equality.