How the Founding Fathers used the Five Tenets of Taekwondo

By Karen Carreon, red belt, CTI LeAD Team Member

For those who are requested to give speeches in CTI soon, the topic at hand is to speak about a person who has signed the Declaration of Independence.  I must admit, my memory of history is quite foggy and so I decided to read up on our very own history. First, a Founding Father can be described as “a person who starts or helps start a movement or institution.”  Specific to our country, a Founding Father is “a member of The Convention that drew up the U.S. Constitution in 1787.” The efforts of our Founding Fathers was to break free from the Monarchy of Great Britain and create our own government that best suited Americans. 

To create a document, present it to King George III, fight for our freedom and liberties to lay down the framework of our current operating system of government took amazing courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self control, and of course an indomitable spirit.

First, it took some courtesy, i.e., consideration for others to word things in a way that allows and encourages freedoms and opportunities for its citizens, rather than blind loyalty to a crown that has the potential of tyranny.  Consideration and courtesy also is in play when the Constitution was written to have large and small states with equal representation and a checks and balance system of legislation so that no one branch or entity has too much power.

Integrity means an adherence to a code of conduct.  Our Founding Fathers adhered to many codes of conduct.  They came from many backgrounds from lawyers to farmers.  Some had political background and some did not. But they all shared a desire to create a government that served the common good and that the rules or laws applied to everybody.

It took a lot of perseverance and self control for our Founding Fathers to even be able to get together and discuss what it is the colonies want and will fight for.  There were no easy travel plans, no telephones. Many rode horses for days through inclement weather and other obstacles just to meet. It took steady persistence to draft, to write, to agree, to come together united and create a document that not only shaped our country but inspired other countries to do the same.

And finally, our Founding Fathers demonstrated great indomitable spirit.  To declare independence from Great Britain in writing was a daring act. They could have faced death as punishment.  Many fought in the Revolutionary War. It was their life's mission to help create our great nation and we should always remember to honor them and all our veterans who serve to maintain our freedom.