County Commission | The Magazine March 2019 | Page 6

THE COUNTY LINE
I
Sonny Brasfield
Executive Director
Seeking the
Greater Good
this Session
Founding Fathers
Knew Grave Risk of
‘Pulling Different Ways’
6 | MARCH 2019
n the summer of 1776, the
founding fathers of our nation
faced a very challenging time,
to say the least. The decisions that
confronted them were extremely
difficult, and the differences of
opinion were emotional and
significant.
There was so much disagreement
that many wondered if the men
around the table could find it within
themselves to put aside their own
ideas and individual desires so they
could see the common good. The
future of the country, at that time,
hung in the balance. 
Would the leaders allow
themselves to be split on the details
and their individual perspectives,
or would they agree on the bigger
issues and forge ahead with
their eyes on the goal? History
was preserved by the conclusion
they reached, but the journey to
agreement was extremely difficult.
When talking about those
critical moments, I’ve always
chuckled at the vision of that scene
in early July when – after much
give and take amongst the elected
representatives – the members of the
Continental Congress signed their
names to a document we know as
the Declaration of Independence.
The placement of their names on
that document was possible only
because each and every one of them
chose to place the greater good ahead
of their own individual biases and
political circumstances.
For example, Thomas Jefferson
had sat reasonably quiet alongside
Benjamin Franklin for several days
as the group tore apart his draft of
the document and shaped it into
the one that today bears all those
signatures. Jefferson’s pride of
authorship and his strong belief that
his words were best did not override
his understanding that the common
good should prevail.
It’s interesting that Franklin
had reviewed the draft before all
the others were allowed to work on
it and had made only a few minor
changes. In fact, the only significant
revision by Franklin was altering
Jefferson’s original words of, “We
hold these truths to be sacred and
undeniable,” into the line that we all
now recite from memory – “We hold
these truths to be self-evident.”
Otherwise, Franklin had largely
given his seal of approval, and he sat
with Jefferson as others reworked the
document. After days and days of
revision and rewriting, a final version
of the declaration was circulated
and everyone agreed to place their
names – at the risk of death – on a
common set of words that were, at
the same time, both objectionable
and agreeable.
It is the recorded exchange
between Franklin and John Hancock,
President of the Congress, that brings
a smile to my face as we prepare for
a Legislative Session that will likely
challenge us all to see the greater
good, rather than our own individual
desire to defend our home base.
We all remember that Hancock
signed the document in letters so
large that no one could miss them.
But do you remember his recorded
words just before picking up the pen?
“There must be no pulling
different ways,” Hancock declared.
“We must all hang together.”
What wise advice for county
officials and staff leadership as we
prepare for a legislative journey in