Dear Leader?

Last weekend’s trip to Washington also afforded Adamu and I the chance to visit Mount Vernon, George Washington’s plantation estate, now an expensive museum open to the public.

It’s no secret that Washington was revered as a national saint during his later life, and the cult only increased after his death. The father of the nation deserves recognition—but without being disrespectful, the Washington worship that goes on at Mount Vernon place is creepy and almost cultish. Adamu and I had good fun walking around the grounds for a good two hours and enjoying the scenery, the colonial architecture, and the history. But the automatic speakerphones blaring the good word of the Father of the nation, the token information on slaves, the aggressive female tour guides preaching the glory of Washington with a glazed look in their eyes was at times disconcerting.

“Crack Corn” on Mount Vernon and simulate the life experience of a real slave!

This isn’t a call for the relativism of recent decades where Christopher Columbus is a war criminal and our slaveowning founding fathers are judged through the prism of modern values. But Mount Vernon is over the top—to the point where the idolization interferred with my ability to enjoy the experience. And if you feel the same, you might enjoy this parody-homage of our very own Dear Leader—just please note this is not work safe.