evidence: An image shared on Facebook claims that former President George Washington once said, "When a nation mistrusts its citizens with guns, it’s sending a clear message… It no longer trusts its citizens because such a government has evil plans." [...] "The quote seems to originate from an online publication: The American Wisdom Series presents Pamphlet #230, ‘President George Washington’s Thoughts on Firearms,'" states the Mount Vernon website. "The author provides no citation for the quotations used." Indeed, it appears unattributed in the pamphlet written by one Joe Spenner. The statement may have originated with him, as he includes it in the section of the pamphlet that appears to be his own commentary. The rest of the pamphlet contains sayings about firearms that are attributed to Washington, though some of those are also spurious. The pamphlet has been online since at least 2002, according to etymologist Barry Popik.