"The Citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for giving to Mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy: a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection, should demean themselves as good citizens."

-- President George Washington, 1790

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Thanks for reading,
Donald C. Lindsay
Obama, 08

Note: Be careful about the word 'demean'. President Washington wrote this over 200 years ago. Languages change over time and there is never a gaurantee that even a document written over 200 years ago does not also contain poignant uses of words that are even much older. I should like to think that President Washington was careful with his words. It behooves us to be likewise.