Our View: Remember our founders

On the third day of each February, Americans celebrate President's Day, a day set aside to honor our very first president, George Washington.

While the day is often marked by school closings and a day off work, one of the most important traditions is the honorary reading of Washington's farewell address, which he gave in 1796 upon leaving the office of president.

In this address, Washington encouraged unity among all Americans and warned of political factions, which could lead to unnecessary strife. He also emphasized the importance of religion and morality as the foundation for a politically prosperous nation.

As college students, it is important that we remember the extraordinary accomplishments of our first president and be thankful for the leadership he and our founders provided during that critical period of our nation's birth.

Their hard work and dedication produced the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, key documents that help outline our rights as citizens.

We can be proud of the system of government our founding fathers provided, a system in which there is a balance of power. No one man has ultimate power, and each of us has the right to have our say in the decisions our government makes.

As Americans, we should reflect these rules that were written for this country by Washington and celebrate the image that he painted. As we go about selecting a President for this next election cycle, perhaps it would be good to remember the values and principles that have held this nation together.

We can all take part in this day by exercising those rights and promoting the cause of freedom wherever we go.

"Our View" is written by the editorial staff. The opinions are not necessarily reflective of the student body, faculty or administration of Arkansas State University.