“Oh, he’s a politician, you can’t believe anything he says!”

That’s what I heard the other day standing near a couple talking about the upcoming elections. It made me stop and think. Is that really what it has come to?

The story about George Washington and the cherry tree used to be taught in schools to help youngsters learn about honesty. Now it’s often pooh-poohed as a made up tale. The bloom is off the cherry tree—or at least it’s story.

Parson Weems, a regular at George Washington’s dinner table, wrote the story after George had passed away. It may be based
in fact. Parson may have heard it from George himself. (I’m not going to tell the story here, so for more on that tale, go to Founding Fathers—Uncommon Heroes, pages 39-41, if you’d like to read more about it).

The famous line from George’s lips, as stated by Weems, have become automatic when talking about Washington. They give us an insight into George’s character as taught by his father, Augustine. “Yes, father, I cannot tell a lie. I did cut it with my hatchet.”

George learned in his youth the importance of honesty.

Another president, one we honor together with George Washington on their birthdays (now President’s Day), Abraham Lincoln, was also known for his truthfulness. We refer to him routinely as “Honest Abe.” His strong character was known as he lived up to that moniker.

I know we would love to believe what our Presidential hopefuls espouse as they run for the job. But personally, would we be considered honest by those who know us?