“Presidents’ Day”

“Presidents’ Day” again befalls us. This paid-holiday for governmental employees and a few others derives from an Act of Congress in 1879 to honor the Father of our country on the anniversary of his birth, February 22nd not February 18th. It has become a boondoggle for the millions of governmental employees. Federal employees alone number 2-million, occupy 2-billion square feet of office-space, and are paid $1-million per minute per workday.

After almost one hundred years, the politicians noticed that February 22nd always doesn’t fall on Mondays; so, in 1971, Congress passed the self-indulgent Uniform Monday Holiday Act shifting the observance to Mondays only (i.e., 3-day weekends for governmental employees) with cheering from the Service Employees International Union.

Then, in the 1980’s, they further insulted the honoree by perverting what had been President Washington’s Birthday into “Presidents’ Day”; thereby, lumping that great man with some rather unsavory successors, most of them of mediocre quality whose official behavior balanced between harmful and helpful, some much worse.

I. HELPFUL
The behavioral consequences of a few presidents clearly benefitted the nation. Consider the following examples:
George Washington (1789-1797), who guided the nation through the Revolutionary War and refused to be crowned king.

Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809), who wrote the Declaration of Independence and consummated the Louisiana Purchase.

James Polk (1845-1849), who instigated the Mexican-American War and, by winning, fulfilled the American dream of Manifest Destiny by creating a single nation from sea to shining sea while wisely refusing to annex Mexico.

John Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929), who created a model of small government with low taxes, federal spending, and inflation, but high employment.

Ronald Reagan (1981-1989), who defeated a powerful, totalitarian enemy without firing a shot.

II. HARMFUL
“Put not your trust in princes,
Nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.” -Psalms 146:3

Now, consider some other examples also recent:
Lyndon “Not-So-Great Society” Johnson (1963-1969), who lied to Americans about alleged North Vietnamese aggression in the Gulf of Tonkin in order to start an undeclared, losing military conflict that would kill almost 60,000 American men while concomitantly implementing multiple, massive, unconstitutional welfare-programs that today are bankrupting these United States of America and who opened the floodgates to millions of non-European immigrants, thereby, forever changing the national complexion, the consequence of which has been the destructive and dangerous, national divisiveness that we witness today.

Jimmy (“I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.”) Carter (1977-1981), who ignored a strengthening Soviet Union and who undermined a decreasingly malevolent Shah of Iran, an ally; thereby, impotently allowing the assumption of power by a thoroughly malevolent, theocratic tyranny and a homicidal enemy of these United States of America.

Bill “Slick Willie” Clinton (1993-2001), who brazenly lied to the American public about his extra-marital escapades; intentionally ignored the North Korean lies about developing nuclear weapons; and, for a measly few pennies in campaigning contributions, allowed two American corporations to sell our precious technological secrets regarding rocketry to the Chinese Communists to use against us.

George “Read My Lips . . . I Lied” Bush the First (1989-1993), who lied to the American public about raising taxes and who double-crossed our homicidal thug-ally in Iraq, Saddam Hussein; thereby, setting the Middle East aflame, establishing the context for two, undeclared, losing, military conflicts; and subsequently humiliating tens of millions of American travellers by forcing them to plod about airports in stocking-feet.

Consequences of “Presidents’ Day”
What have been the consequences of destroying a patriotic holiday honoring the Father of the country and replacing it with politicians’ celebration of other politicians, many of whom disreputable characters more harmful than helpful? Among others, demeaning not only of President Washington but all the Founding Fathers and Framers of the Constitution. Rejection of the origins of the nation as something truly awesome. Validation of the current trend away from capitalistic democratic republicanism towards socialistic tyranny.

“He who controls the present, controls the past. He who controls the past, controls the future.” -George Orwell (1903-1950)

Fear for that future. Acknowledge “Presidents’ Day” for the travesty that it is. Ignore the cure for the socialistic scourge and the antidote for its toxin at your peril.