Category: Government

Washington’s Farewell Address & His Vision for the United States – by Dianna Greenwood

Washington’s Farewell Address & His Vision for the United States – by Dianna Greenwood

What does The Farwell Address tell us about Washington’s vision for the United States?

Quite possibly one of the most eloquent farewell addresses written, Washington’s final Address to the American people encompasses his triumphs, hopes, and vision for the country. This speech is full of sincere advice for the country’s direction. Yet, simultaneously, he is genuinely concerned with what people will think of his administration and assures them he took the actions he did with the best intentions for their future prosperity. It is a mini treatise on statesmanship.

First, Washington informs the reader that the speech is grounded in his true feelings rather than political cautiousness. It is because he has nothing ahead of him that prevents him from revealing his true feelings on individual and collective happiness, which are manifestly tied to unity in government. This is because he has “declined being considered among the number of those, out of whom a choice is to be made” regarding the presidential election 1796. He further states that what unites us is our government and our love for liberty and freedom. To preserve that liberty and independence, we must “cherish a cordial, habitual and immoveable attachment to it; accustoming yourselves to think and speak of it as of the Palladium of your political safety and prosperity…” For if we do not, there are plenty of people “from different causes and from different quarters, much pains will be taken, many artifices employed, to weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth….” He says we must be careful and aware of those who would subvert liberty and freedom for the country.

This is our common cause as Americans because while we are citizens by birth or choice, we must always exhibit “the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations.” His intent in writing this is that we might have sectional differences, which should not override the fact that we are Americans, which is suitable for everyone. In other words, we must be wise, prudent, educate ourselves, and act prudently because self-government and freedom are hard to keep and easy to lose. Some of this is because humans will find the interests closest to them to be the most important rather than looking at the country as a whole. In the speech, he describes the differences between the North and the South and how, even though we have these differences, we must work together because it benefits everyone. It is a Hobbesian state of nature where everyone is at War with one another because we are pursuing our interests, and to pursue that personal interest, we must see the whole and how each part of the country benefits from the other.

This emphasizes individual interests and not group interests. Washington is telling us that we have consented to leave a state of nature where no government exists out of necessity because an individual can no longer protect their natural rights and need help from others. It is not collectiveness but a need to secure the individual’s rights, and others have consented to this idea to form a civil society. For our country, it was a universal consent, not a majority rule forced upon us by an individual, but we all decided this. We cannot be deprived of our interests. Still, it is natural that like-minded people come together in a faction and then move into political parties to secure their interests. While there were no actual political parties, de facto parties such as the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists debated how the Constitution was intended to govern the country.

Washington had a perfect sense of interest and factions because he didn’t piddle around in it but had a greater sphere of action and could see everything (per se) rather than a small fraction of the whole sphere. We can compare this to how a quarterback can see the full view of the football field before throwing the ball. This is what made him successful. But he doesn’t just focus on factions but warns us about the dangers of political parties when there is no opposing view to counteract it. He warns that without opposing views, a single party or faction can take over and impose tyranny on the people. While factions are needed to a certain extent, they can be dangerous because factions can and will encourage oppression. While it is natural to pursue an interest and form factions with others who have the same interest, we cannot let them get out of control and take over because it results in the end game of oppression. He, of course, has read Federalist 10 and understands the necessity of factions but warns the people against them.

He continues to preach many things in this Address that are universal and based on logic and reason, such as the spirit and innovation of the Constitution. He believes they had elevated the human condition and demanded that humans become serious beings and live up to their potential, encompassing what was right and wrong with the world. It was not the I am what I am like in the old days or back in Europe with the aristocracy, but I will be what I can achieve. You do this by not limiting yourself, talking to each other, and becoming educated. He was keen on the idea that education frees you from the banal, silly, and ridiculous circumstances that one can find oneself in, and you, as an individual, can elevate yourself to equality.

He spent a great deal of time speaking of parties/factions and the individual, but he also touched on something that many have ignored, especially since World War II, which is to be careful with foreign nations. In this section, there was a passage that caught my attention where Washington states:

In executing such a plan, nothing is more essential than that permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular nations and passionate attachments for others should be excluded; in place of them, just and amicable feelings toward all should be cultivated. The Nation that indulges toward another a habitual hatred or a habitual fondness is, to some degree, a slave.

He isn’t talking about not having alliances but not having permanent alliances because it makes you less independent and more dependent on that Nation. Additionally, you cannot trust them because they are in the habit of changing regimes with a good chance of implementing one that may or may not honor your treaties. Washington would have been against Most Favored Nation status being given to a country because of the imbalance it can create. We see his wise warnings about China – we now have a tremendous trade imbalance. Still, his warnings ring true with other treaties such as NAFTA, where we again see a trade imbalance that makes us more dependent on other nations economically and less independent to a certain degree.

Washington then begins talking about economics and various other issues before ending the Address regarding neutrality and a review of his administration. He makes no apologies for neutrality and reasons that it has allowed us to “endeavor to gain time to our own country to settle and mature its yet recent institutions, and to progress without interruption, to that degree of strengths and consistency, which is necessary to give it, humanly speaking, the command of its fortunes.” In other words, we are not yet at a point where we can become involved in other countries’ issues, and based on his previous statements regarding caution against favoring nations, it is best to work on ourselves.

Finally, Washington concludes the essay by noting that he did nothing with malice. It hopes that history will view him favorably in that his work was done for the people and those items that were mistakes based on incompetence would be discarded to the dustbin of history and that he will revere retirement but that the citizens of the United States will always be in his heart.

It is worth noting that this speech is not often taught in school and not in high school anymore, where U.S. History classes only begin post-Civil War rather than pre-Jamestown. What a huge loss for our students and our country to be deprived of learning this and other significant historical and political works of our country. Without this knowledge and education, how can we continue to be the beacon of the free world?

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November 5th 2024 Election Results

The Results 

These are the winning results of the November 5, 2024, election. The results are from Bastrop County Elections, and they reflect how registered voters of Bastrop County voted. 
To see more results and more comprehensive election reports, please click here 

Registered Voters in Bastrop County – 61,423
Ballots Cast – 39,956 

President/Vice President
Donald J. Trump/JD Vance

US Senator
Ted Cruz

US Representative, District 10
Michael T. McCaul

US Representative, District 27
Michael Cloud

Railroad Commissioner
Christi Craddick

Justice, Supreme Court, PL 2
Jimmy Blacklock

Justice, Supreme Court, PL 4
John Devine

Justice, Supreme Court, PL 6
Jane Bland

Presiding Judge, Ct. of Crimm. App.
David J. Schenck

Judge, Ct. of Crimm. App, PL 7
Gina Parker

Judge, Ct. of Crimm. App, PL 8
Lee Finley

State Representative, District 17
Stan Gerdes

Justice, 3rd Ct. of App, Dist. PL 2
John Messinger

Justice, 3rd Ct. of App, Dist. PL 3
Chari Kelly

Justice, 3rd Ct. of App, Dist. PL 5
Karin Crump

Justice, 3rd Ct. of App, Dist. PL 6
Gisela D. Triana

Dist. Judge, 21st Judicial Dist. 
Carson Campbell

Dist. Judge, 335th Judicial Dist. 
John D. Winkelmann

Dist. Judge, 423rd Judicial Dist. 
Chris Duggan

Dist. Judge, 465th Judicial Dist. 
Elizabeth Beyer

Sheriff
Maurice Cook

County Tax Assessor – Collector
Ellen Owens

County Commissioner Pct. 1 
Butch Carmack

County Commissioner Pct. 3
Mark Meuth

Justice of Peace, Unexpired Pct. 2
Zachary Carter

Constable Pct. 1
Wayne Wood

Constable Pct. 2
James L. Scoggins

Constable Pct. 3
Tim Sparkman

Constable Pct. 4
Joey Dzienowski

Unincorporated ESD No.3 
62.27% – FOR

 

Calendar of Events

November 7 – Registration for the LPRW Christmas Party opens. Click here for more information.
November 9 – 9 am to 5pm, Texas Constitutional Enforcement 89th Legislative Agenda Workshop at Paige Farmhouse Diner, Paige TX. Hosted by Tom Glass. Click here for more information and to RSVP.
November 9 – 6:30 pm, Red, White, & Blue Veterans of Bastrop 20th Annual Veterans Appreciation Banquet.at the Bastrop Convention Center. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets. 
November 11 – Veterans Day
November 18 – 5:30 pm, Bastrop County Conservatives Monthly Meeting with Senator Mayes Middleton at Casa Chapala in Bastrop. Click here for more information. 
November 21 – 6:00 pm, LPRW Monthly Meeting at the LPRW Club House. Click here for more information. 
November 25 – 6:00 pm, BCRP Monthly Meeting. Speaker to be announced.
November 28 – Thanksgiving Day
 
Visit our website calendar for more information and other events.

2024 General Election Voter Guide

The Bastrop County Republican Party (BCRP) and Lost Pines Republican Women (LPRW) joined together to generate a 2024 Voter Guide  for early voting and on Election Day November 5th, 2024.  Available in English and Spanish.

 

Remember cellphones and other digital devices are not permitted inside the polling place, but you can take the red boxed tear off section of candidates on the last page of the Voter Guide as your helpful notes.

August Informational Meeting Alternative

In lieu of our normal 4th Monday Informational Meeting, the Bastrop County Republican Party is partnering with several other Bastrop County and Central Texas organizations to present …

Kimberly Fletcher, Moms for America Founder, President & CEO

Monday, August 19, 2024

Time: Doors open at 5:30pm for networking, Meeting starts at 6:30pm 
Location: Southside Market & BBQ, 1212 US-290, Elgin, TX 78621

Topic: Real-time current coverage of events of the day

In Partnership with …

  • Bastrop County Republican Party
  • Bastrop County Conservatives
  • Bastrop County Young Republicans
  • Lee County Republican Party
  • Lee County Conservatives
  • Austin County Republican Party
  • Milam County Constitutional Conservatives
  • Travis County Republican Party
  • Williamson County Republican Party
  • Citizens Defending Freedom Williams County
  • Fredericksburg Tea Party
  • Washington County Republican Party
  • and more … 

Kimberly Fletcher is the Moms for America Founder & President.  We’re excited to hear how MFA is Empowering Moms, Promoting Liberty, and Raising Patriots by providing educational resources, programs, and events to support moms in nurturing a love of liberty in the home, advance freedom in their communities, and protect it with their vote.   Click here for more information on Moms for America.

August 12th Update:  Jessica Colon, Donald J. Trump’s Texas State Campaign Director, will address the meeting with thoughts on campaign status, election, support and more.   Don’t miss out! 

Visit the Moms for America website and find out about some of their upcoming events!

 

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July Informational Meeting followup

One of our best attended Informational Meetings so far, with a full house and some of us standing in the hallway.  Sergeant Miller spoke on the presence, dangers and Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office reduction efforts of the Fentanyl epidemic sweeping our County, State and Nation, and answered several questions at the end.  The biggest take away is being aware of the symptoms:

  • slow, shallow breathing or respiratory distress
  • slurred speech
  • loss of consciousness

These can quickly become serious health problems, resulting in permanent injury or death. The next biggest is knowing what forms Fentanyl is typically trafficked:

  • pills
  • powder
  • liquid

Don’t take chances and certainly DO NOT TOUCH anything suspicious, such as small plastic baggies with unknown pills, powder or other substances.  It could contain products that, in the smallest quantities could cause you or others irreparable harm or death. If you see or find anything suspicious, or encounter someone who might need medical assistance Call 911 immediately.   If you have any questions or would like further details, please call Bastrop County Sheriffs Office .

Trump Observance and Support Rally – Bastrop

Sunday, July 28th, 2024

   2:00pm to 3:00pm at various random locations in Bastrop

   3:00pm to 4:00pm Bastrop County Courthouse lawn & gazebo

  • A 2 Hour Observance and Support Rally for our Presidential Candidate Donald J. Trump
  • The goals:
    • 100’s of vehicles flying flags
    • 100’s of people in parking lots throughout our city from Lowe’s to the Buc-ees and everywhere in between
  • At 3 pm, meet at the Bastrop Court House for open prayer
  • This is Family and Kid Friendly event, so please no curse words on merchandise or flags.
It is up to you and your family to do what you want to demonstrate your support between 2-3pm…  fly flags, sit in parking lots, walk around. Hundreds of us waving American / Trump flags in our favorite patriotic attire.
 
Click here for Facebook Event, or contact Chase Bradshaw for more information or to help organize this event.  Please note the organizer of this event, Chase Bradshaw, is a concerned private citizen and is not affiliated with the Bastrop County Republican Party (BCRP), or the Republican Party of Texas (RPT, TexasGOP)

Michael Cloud speaks in Bastrop

This months speaker will be Tx District 27 U.S. Congressman Michael Cloud.  He will be speaking on issues of this Legislative Session.  His comments are always informative, direct and to the point.  This meeting should proved to be important in this election year.  Come join us for this special joint meeting.  

Wednesday, August 21, 2024, 5:30 networking, 6:30 meeting

Speaker: US Congressman Michael Cloud

Topic: Legislative Update

Location: Casa Chapala Bastrop, 1800 Walnut Street, Bastrop, TX 78602

 

Representative Michael Cloud is a Constitutional Conservative who proudly represents the 27th Congressional District of Texas. Representative Cloud was first elected in a special election in 2018. He defends American values and Constitutional liberties. His time in office has been marked by promoting the booming economy in south Texas, maintaining a strong national defense, and combating anti-American values that work against the American people, rather than for the American people.

Since he’s been in office, he has worked hard to strengthen our border, while working towards immigration policies that benefit the American people.

Representative Cloud has been actively working with Veterans to ensure they receive the care they need, while simultaneously working to reform some of the issues that plague the Department of Veterans Affairs.  He has been a voice for the unborn by protecting religious freedom and working to end taxpayer-funded abortions.

His background as a small business owner gives him first-hand insight into the fight against bureaucracy and unnecessary regulations. As a longtime District 27 resident, he understands the needs and intricacies of the district and continuously works to serve and contribute to District 27.

Visit Michael Cloud for more information.

Informational Meeting – July 22nd 2024

BCRP Office Meeting Room
Doors open at 6:00pm for networking
Program start at 6:30pm

~ MONDAY ~
July 22nd, 2024
443 Highway 71 West,
Bastrop Texas

This months speakers will be Sergeant James Miller with the Bastrop County Sheriffs Office. Sergeant Miller will be discussing the Fentanyl problem in Bastrop County and the State of Texas. After his presentation, he will answer questions from the audience. 

Sergeant James Miller started his law enforcement career at the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and has been with the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office for 15 years. He is currently assigned to the Criminal Investigation’s Department working cases from Mail Box destruction to murder investigations. In his career he has been a patrol officer, patrol supervisor, mental health deputy and now a criminal investigator.

Please attend the important meeting to find out more on this serious issue.

The Bastrop County Republican Party has monthly Informational Meetings, which are held the 4th Monday of each month. We invite speakers on a variety of issues and topics of interest or impact on Bastrop County.

 

Former President Trump Injured

There is no doubt everyone has heard of the unsuccessful assassination attempt on Former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania this afternoon. The former President was injured, dropped out of the line of fire, but then stood defiantly with blood streaming across his face as he was escorted safely from the stage.  Sadly this action did take the life of one woman and others present were injured.  We send our heart felt prayers to the Former President and to the families of those lost and injured. May God Bless Donald Trump and the American People. 

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