He was arguably the greatest American of all time. Throughout his long and eventful life, he engaged in a variety of endeavors. Statesman, diplomat, journalist, publisher, businessman, entrepreneur, scientist, and inventor. He might have been the penultimate American, warts and all. If Washington was the father of our country, Franklin might well be considered the attending physician at its birth, the priest who sanctified it, friend and counselor, devoted old uncle, and godfather-all rolled into one.
He dedicated his life to the concept of the new nation he helped found, but after all, it was in his own best self-interest to do so, as he would be the first to heartily admit. That shared self-interest, he realized, insured the greatest likelihood of long term success. But also he recognized the potential for failure. It was he who when questioned as to what kind of nation he and the founders had forged, answered the old woman with the refrain "a republic, madame, if you can keep it."
His was probably the greatest influence behind the concept of respect for private enterprise, and of the need for as little government intrusion in the market as possible. He also devoted himself to the establishment of the volunteer fire department. His concern for fire safety likely inspired him to invent the Franklin Stove. He discovered, or rather proved, the fluid nature of electricity with his groundbreaking experiments
He was a Deist rumored to be a member of the Hellfire Club, and a Rosicrucian, and probably had as much of an influence on the concept of freedom of religion as he did freedom of the press.
In these and in so many other ways, the DNA of Benjamin Franklin is the DNA of the nation, and its core, long term, most cherished values are reflected in him.
And today, January 17th, is his birthday. Bet you didn't know that did you? Strangely, I myself just learned it today.
