Presidents Day
by
Denise Morris
on Feb 18, 2008 at 11:51 AM
Today is Presidents Day, which means that some people don't have to work. I am not some people.
It is also a good day to remember past presidents, specifically George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. The day is officially designated to remember Washington's birthday (February 22), but Lincoln was also much admired and his birthday was also in February, so the tradition now includes both of them.
Washington, the first U.S. president, was known for being the father of our country, leading the Revolutionary war, and his inability to lie about fallen fruit trees. He also said some pretty wise things:
"I am sure that never was a people, who had more reason to acknowledge a Divine interposition in their affairs, than those of the United States; and I should be pained to believe that they have forgotten that agency, which was so often manifested during our Revolution, or that they failed to consider the omnipotence of that God who is alone able to protect them."
"Let your heart feel for the afflictions and distress of everyone, and let your hand give in proportion to your purse."
"Friendship is a plant of slow growth and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation."
Abraham Lincoln is well-known for his height, the Civil War and the emancipation of the slaves. He has some great quotes as well, although I think Michael Scott may have gotten this one wrong: "Abraham Lincoln once said, 'If you are a racist, I will attack you with the North.' "
Here are some sayings we can actually attribute to the president:
"Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves; and, under a just God, can not long retain it."
"The probability that we may fall in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just; it shall not deter me."
"Whenever I hear any one arguing for slavery I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally."
So whether you're working today or not, please feel free to contribute to the discussion. Who are some of your favorite past presidents? Why do you like them? What good things did they say and do for the United States?
1. Tom Neven had the following to say on Feb 18 at 12:08 PM:
Actually, today is officially Washington's Birthday, as the federal holiday is known. It used to be celebrated on Washington's actual birthday, Feb. 22, until the early '70s, when Congress decided we all liked 3-day weekends and passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.
The term "Presidents Day" is actually a creation of Madison Avenue and retailers as an opportunity to have yet another reason to have a sale, and the proliferation of TV commercials and newspaper flyers featuring silly actors in powdered wigs and stovepipe hats has seen no end ever since.
2. Andrew R. (aka Canadian Boy) had the following to say on Feb 18 at 1:47 PM:
Watching American networks, it's pretty funny to see "Presidents' Day Sales" (shouldn't there be an apostraphe after the "s" in "Presidents"?). I laugh and think "Only in America..."
Incidentally, the (Liberal) Government of Ontario has made the third Monday in February (today) Family Day. It's an official holiday, so kids and workers get the day off, with the request that families spend time together. I think it's awesome, very pro-family.
But there are no "Family Day Sales" in Ontario.
3. John D. had the following to say on Feb 18 at 2:03 PM:
Two nuggets from Grover Cleveland, a man of great integrity who is under-rated as a President, perhaps because he understood the need to limit Federal power.
"Every citizen owes to the country a vigilant watch and close scrutiny of its public servants and affairs and a reasonable estimate of their fidelity and usefulness...this is the price of our liberty and the inspiration of our faith in the Republic."
"I shall to the best of my ability and within my sphere of duty preserve the Constitution by loyally protecting every grant of Federal power it contains, by defending all its restraints when attacked by impatience and restlessness, and by enforcing its limitations and reservations in favor of the States and of the people."
We could use another Grover Cleveland right about now.
4. Jill had the following to say on Feb 18 at 4:13 PM:
When I was in school, we celebrated Washington's birthday & Lincoln's birthday. As mentioned before it was more recently called "President's Day" to encompass all presidents. Washington & Lincoln were presidents of good character in most cases. They deserved honor & recognition. To honor ALL of our presidents may not be as called for.
5. Sam had the following to say on Feb 18 at 4:41 PM:
Totally random but I *heart* Michael Scott. I've always loved that quote....even if Abe Lincoln never said that. Or anything like it.
Happy Presidents Day!
6. James had the following to say on Feb 18 at 4:45 PM:
Agreed. We could use a Grover Cleveland + Teddy Roosevelt right about now. Though I'd settle for another Ike or an FDR. Forget party affiliations, those were all great men who lead our nation well. We're exiting out of another good leader's era, and the only selection before us is ALL poor.
I'm beginning to suspect more and more that this poor selection is probably divine providence. This nation has been BEGGING to be divinely judged and abandoned for well over half a century now. I still love it, and don't really WANT to see it judged, but God wouldn't be GOD if He let us, as a nation, continue to mock Him like we've been doing.
7. John had the following to say on Feb 18 at 6:54 PM:
FDR may be one of our worst presidents ever.
I enacted perhaps the greatest engrandizements of Federal government this nation has ever seen.
The best presidents were the ones who did the least, meaning, didn't do things simply for the sake of doing things.
FDR is exactly NOT what we need right now, but is, sadly, what we'll probably end up getting.
8. BDB had the following to say on Feb 18 at 10:52 PM:
Andrew R. wrote (#2):
>>But there are no "Family Day Sales" in Ontario.<<
Yet.
They have Valentine's Day in India now, thanks to American culture spreading...
Alas, I've always worked for companies that treated President's Day, Martin Luther King Day, and Veteran's Day as "optional" holidays, and give them out as "floating" holidays. So last Friday, when someone said they were leaving for the holiday, I was confused...
While I don't agree with him on everything politically, I'm glad that Carter spent so much time out volunteering at Habitat for Humanity and other things. It shows what a "citizen president" should be like - not simply retiring to luxury.
9. Jethro had the following to say on Feb 19 at 12:25 AM:
John,
Puh-lease. FDR was one of the best presidents ever. History and scholars seem to agree with this, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_rankings_of_United_States_Presidents for example.
The more like FDR the next president is the better, I say.
10. John D. had the following to say on Feb 19 at 6:14 AM:
John wrote,
"The best presidents were the ones who did the least, meaning, didn't do things simply for the sake of doing things."
That was why I mentioned Grover Cleveland. Teddy Roosevelt was an activist President, and his cousin Franklin was even worse, the father of the modern bureaucratic Big Government.
Calvin Coolidge was another President who believed in the virtue of not fixing things if they're not broken, becasue government fixes tend to make the problem worse.
Unfortunately, liberal historians tend to lionize the activist Presidents (Lincoln, FDR, Johnson) who made the government bigger and more intrusive, in violation of the Constitution.
11. kaj had the following to say on Feb 19 at 7:18 AM:
I do agree that George Washington made many great contributions to the United States of America.
However, the story about him chopping down the cherry tree has been debated as to whether or not that incident really happened. Some historians suggest this anecdote about Mr. Washington was fabricated by Mason Locke Weems as a nice, warm fuzzy "feel good" story to reinforce Washington's heroic image.
Some links for your consideration:
http://americanhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/washingtonscherrytree
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~cap/gw/gwmoral.html
http://www.mountvernon.org/learn/meet_george/index.cfm/pid/382/
12. John had the following to say on Feb 19 at 11:46 AM:
Jethro,
You would believe that, you're a liberal. Liberals love liberal leaders.
History can't agree, it's not a person.
There are scholars who would contradict the scholars you quote.
So where does that leave you. With an opinion. Very good.
A president who protects the constitution and does not make government, his branch or the others, perform outside the limits of the constitution, is a good president.
By that standard, FDR was a terrible failure of a president. In other words the best president in the mind of a liberal.:)
13. Jethro had the following to say on Feb 19 at 2:31 PM:
John,
Quote " A president who protects the constitution and does not make government, his branch or the others, perform outside the limits of the constitution, is a good president."
How would you rate the current president on this criteria?
ps, Despite my liberal leanings I do think FDR was wrong to try and stack the supreme court in the way he did.
14. John had the following to say on Feb 20 at 8:49 AM:
Jethro,
I would say Bush has been worse than FDR in spending like a drunk monkey.
Do you like our current Commander in Chief? His admin has spent more than any admin ever has.
There is hope for you, though, as apparently you are actually able to see the error in FDR's court packing.
15. Ruth from Canada had the following to say on Feb 20 at 8:37 PM:
We just had our first Family Day in Ontario and it was great!
I heard person after person describing how they actually spent their day with their fam.
No sales pitches yet, but they will likely come.
I love William Wilberforce, but he wasn't a president, although he was a politician. If you haven't see the movie Amazing Grace yet, please go see it!