Here is the revised text of the talk presented by Dr. Philip Schoenberg at the QL March meeting, on his perspective about the various US Presidents’ impact on Liberty.
US Presidents–Who did the Most and the Least to Advance Liberty? © 2024 by Philip Ernest Schoenberg, PhD
Explain how a president should advance, promote, and protect liberty?
Rank choices from one the best to twelve the worst and explain why in a single sentence..
Who do you think is the best president in terms of liberty and why?
Who do you think is the worst president in terms of liberty and why?
___ A. George Washington (1789-1797)—role model of a leader who served for a period of time and then stepped down. He was greater than the nation when he became president but thanks to his efforts, the nation had become greater than him. He set up the federal government in operation. In private, he railed against what he felt was unfair criticism by the press but refrained from shutting down his critics. Unlike so many Latin American “liberators,” Washington did not become a dictator and stepped down to resume his life as a private citizen. On the other hand, President Washington pushed the Indians westward. George Washington could have set an example by freeing the 150 slaves he owned while he was president instead of telling his wife to free them when she died. She did not wait to avoid giving into temptation to end her life… Read the rest.