Hope

In chapter 8 of Wulf's book, we begin to see a side of Thomas Jefferson that is completely glossed over by history. I assume it is because most historians find anything after his public life to be unimportant, but I disagree. I think it gives us a key to what the Founders intended politicians to be, which is civil servants. Once Jefferson left public office and returned home, he truly left it behind. He returned to his home and took up his private life, delving into the thing that he loved: gardening. To some (maybe most) people, it would appear that this is indeed unimportant, but when we look at the state of things today, at the state of our government, at the state of our elected officials, is it what we want? Is it what we need? I insist most emphatically that it is not.

The politicians that are in office today care predominantly about one thing: re-election. They are not public servants. They do not look at their office as a way to perform their civic duty. As evidence, what do the majority of these politicians do when they leave office? Do they return home to a quiet life, pursuing their hobbies? No. If they leave office at all, they move into the private sector as lobbyists, or they write books about their time in office, milking it for every penny, or they become the CEOs of major corporations and banks with strong ties to the government. When we look at the Founders, and what they accomplished with next to nothing, and we see their character and how they lived, is it really that difficult to see the disconnect?

By no means was Jefferson above the mud-slinging or the dirty politics, but when he retired, he truly retired. He even went so far as to make amends with his political rival John Adams, a man he attempted to thwart at any opportunity. But when it came down to it, Adams and Jefferson were friends, bound by their love of their new nation, the nation they had worked so hard to build. Therein lies the hope of this chapter, and I would even argue, the hope of our country. I do not believe that polarization is in itself a bad thing. After all, the idea that so many different groups with so many different and opposing opinions can exist in the same place, and enjoy the same freedoms, is what makes our republic so great. However, I believe that we need a reminder that civic duty, duty to one's home, one's country, is a virtue. Our politicians especially need it, but we as Americans could all use the reminder. Our nation will be great only so long as its people are. It gives me hope because the future of our nation is in our hands.