By James W. Dolan
Special to the Reporter

The tourists are gone and night descends on the Black Hills of South Dakota. High up on Mt. Rushmore four gigantic historical figures quietly discuss what’s happening in the country they led and shaped in tumultuous times. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt are worried.

“Do you think we got it wrong,” Thomas Jefferson asks George Washington. “The Constitution we so carefully crafted appears to be breaking down. Perhaps we expected too much. Focusing on structure, we failed to account for the human element, to anticipate how self-interest could replace the common good as the overriding principle in the government we formed. We believed persons of character who valued truth, integrity, and service would rise to positions of leadership. Instead, fund-raising and political self-preservation now dominate.

“Knowing that money and power corrupt, we established checks and balances to prevent the concentration of power and to promote compromise. That, too, has collapsed. We wrongly assumed that respect, honesty, good will, and understanding would serve to balance the process. What we could not manage were the flaws in human nature. Separation of powers was designed to moderate and control our baser impulses. We provided the structure, but it’s the voters who determine who controls it. Without wise choices, it will not function as it should. Today we see the consequences. What a mess!”

Washington responded: “You think you’re disappointed? I’m the father of this screwed up country. I sometimes wonder whether the revolution was worth it. My troops didn’t freeze at Valley Forge to form a country where basic human values would be ignored. How could they elect a president I wouldn’t have accepted as a junior officer in my army?

“I admit the cherry tree story is a myth. I stretched the truth from time to time. But this guy takes lying to a new level. I don’t think he can differentiate between the truth and a lie; it’s all the same to him.

“The Constitution provides the form but not the substance of democracy. That requires people with the virtues necessary to preserve it. Government of the people, by the people, and for the people is fragile. Without shared values, the institution will collapse. Abe, you came close to seeing that happen. How can what you learned be applied to today’s problems?”

Said Abe: “What split us asunder was slavery in the guise of states’ rights. The dispute was between those who viewed slaves as human beings and those who saw them as something less. Efforts at reconciliation failed and more than 600,000 died in a terrible war. The evil of slavery was not a matter of opinion. It was an objective truth.

“Now the problems are broader, more diffuse, having to do with race, commerce, inequality, resentment, anger. It’s tribal; rural versus urban, us against them. Money drives rampant partisanship and the resulting gridlock makes government part of the problem. Our better angels are retreating. Gone is the respect and good will necessary to resolve problems in the interest of the common good. Rancor reigns supreme, stoked by a president who seems to revel in discord. We are not so exceptional that our democracy can survive in the absence of wise and effective leadership. Teddy, you served in troubled times, what advice can you offer?”

A “deeelighted” Teddy replied: “I’m always ready to throw in my two cents. I can identify to some extent with the current president. He’s the only one I’ve ever seen with a bigger ego than me. The problem is he doesn’t have the knowledge or the character to back it up. Before becoming president, I was a state legislator, police commissioner, governor of New York, assistant secretary of the navy, war hero, and vice president. So I had a little more experience than the present officeholder.

“I, too, was a good public speaker but at least I knew what I was talking about and for the most part was truthful. I tried to champion the little guy. I liked the attention and a good fight, but never lost sight of the public welfare. My record was one of accomplishments from trust busting to public health to conservation and consumer protection.

“What we lack now is a president with a vision. It’s all about him; he makes it up as he goes along. We’ve had good, bad and mediocre presidents, but never a scoundrel, until now. The country desperately needs a healer. We’re already off course and without better leadership, we’re headed for rocky shoals.”

“Thanks, fellas,” said Washington, “but I think it’s time to turn in.” “Good night Poppa,” the three replied in unison.” “This comes with being the father of our country,” Washington thought as he smiled, and said: “Sleep tight boys! Don’t forget to say your prayers. The country needs them.”