Yawn...It's President's Day
Where have all the good times gone?
By haystack Posted in Congress | Featured Stories — Comments (5) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
This day, "the third Monday of February" is an occasion to commemorate our Presidents. While its origins are reportedly rooted in George Washington's birthday later being coupled with Lincoln's, the meaning of President's day has devolved - like so much other deep-rooted history of this country - into some meaningless and obscure "free day" of being paid NOT to go to work.
Rumored to have been expanded by the late President Nixon to include "honoring ALL Presidents", we have come down to the day having more meaning to school bus drivers, mail delivery workers, and new and used car salesmen.
Honoring a President is just politically incorrect these days; it's bad form.
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I remember, growing up, that these holidays meant something; that even though I benefited personally from the day off from school, I was required to exhibit some behavior consistent with the theme of the holiday.
Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, Labor Day, Independence Day and President's Day required either a church service or a parade or attaching a flag of the United Sates to the front of my house. Just what exactly do we have now?
When Jimmy Carter moved in to the White House, I remember his mission being to restore dignity and respect and trust to the office of President.
He was going to lose the expensive suit, don a bonny cardigan sweater, kick his shoes off a la Mr. Rogers, and square things with the American people; make things all right again. Upon reflection I suggest he did no better at this than anyone since his tenure. And, I suggest the office of President has become possibly the LAST thing on earth Americans are honoring or celebrating.
Notwithstanding the wails and cries from my enemies on the left, the vilification of Presidents has become the standard fare of the body politic. How much you can DISRESPECT one ought be the theme of the holiday, for surely that is where all our energies are being focused these days.
When was the last time you heard anything GOOD said about this current resident of the White House? What do you remember best about what Bill Clinton's political rivals said about HIM?
What do you remember GOOD about Bush 41? Reagan?
It's sad, really, if for no other reason than the collective loss of respect for ANYTHING that was once traditional or common practice in this country. It's especially sad when I see our Nation at War, and I have to watch the guy calling the shots for how to fight it being relentlessly hamstrung by people whose only interests are political gain and self-aggrandizement.
Today I, at least, celebrate George W. Bush as the sitting President who holds the safety, security, and future of our Nation and the lives of the brave men and women fighting to defend it, in his hands. Today I celebrate the rich oft-forgot tradition of respecting and honoring our Leader and Commander in Chief. Today I celebrate another year of the continued strength and success of a Nation in spite of itself.
Happy President's Day President Bush, and God Bless you. There is at least a handful of us left out here who continue to pray for you.
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Most historians put Lincoln, Washington, and F. Roosevelt at the top of a list of the United States' greatest presidents. Maybe you could flip Washington with Lincoln, but those three are more or less set in stone. Who else would round out the top ten? (In the issue of fairness, President Bush cannot be fairly evaluated until after his presidency, so one may not include him - not that I would put him in the top ten right now.)
1. Lincoln
2. Washington
3. F. Roosevelt
4. Jackson
5. T. Roosevelt
6. Reagan
7. Truman
8. Jefferson
9. Eisenhower
10. Polk/McKinley
*Presidents Day is the correct form of the holiday's name. The holiday does not belong to the presidents, but rather it is a day on which the United States honors them. Presidents is considered an "attributive noun" and acts as a modifier.
But I definitely support McKinley over Polk. Alaska had paid back the price of investing in it several Dozen times over.
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:
Jesus Christ and the American G. I.
One died for your soul; the other for your freedom.
Who or what is to blame for the lack of respect for Presidents these days is open to debate. Starting with Nixon, I think people have gotten the idea that some Presidents look after themselves more than the country they serve. I'm not saying that's right, or that it has been the case with every President (like Ford), but generally, the Office of the President seems to be run like a public relations office, with a significant number of supporters and detractors.
...I believe the reason Presidents do not seem so admirable nowadays is because they are more closely scrutinized. With the explosion in communication technology since 1970 or so, Presidents are now more public than ever. Every move they make is visible to a very large number of people. Is it so hard to believe that they are faulty like the rest of us?
it's Presidents' Day.