There is a meme going around right now that looks like this:
What George Washington actually said was:
“A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined; to which end a uniform and well-digested plan is requisite; and their safety and interest require that they should promote such manufactories as tend to render them independent of others for essential, particularly military, supplies.”
First annual address to Congress
Just for accuracy’s sake, wanted to make sure the record is correct. It doesn’t do the argument any good when it’s being misquoted.