A Presidents’Day Rant (Special Edition)

In 1971, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved certain federal holidays from a calendar date to assure they always fell on a Monday; which resulted in three-day weekends for most of us. Nothing wrong with that; except that the reason behind specific holidays is sometimes blurred. These special commemorative days were originally designated for reflection and remembrance, but now have become simply another day for shopping (commercialization) or for camping, barbeques, and games (recreation).  I suppose I should be grateful that Congress, in its zeal to create three-day weekends, could not find a way to change the 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Veterans Day, or Christmas to Mondays. (But I would bet a few Congressmen tried.)

 Thankfully, on Memorial Day (now always a Monday) many still remember those lost in service to our Country; however, Presidents’ Day is nearly devoid of any meaningful and respectful displays.

 And, I think as a Nation, we have lost something.

 From the early 1800s, the Country recognized George Washington’s birth date, February 22, and “Washington’s Day” celebrations often resembled Fourth of July patriotic events. Soon after Abraham Lincoln’s death in 1865, many states, but certainly not those in the deep South, began to celebrate his birth date of February 12. For the next hundred years we recognized the contributions of both men on their birthdays; however, the 1971 Holiday Act changed the two specials days and they were morphed into one Monday holiday. Actually, the official federal designation is “Washington’s Birthday” with no mention of Lincoln; because some Southern Congressmen objected to proposals that the special day be named as Washington-Lincoln Day.

 The retail industry, however, recognized that the public now had a three-day holiday to shop in what had historically been a slow retail month; and they began to advertise “Presidents’ Day” sales. Now we often see images of Washington and Lincoln adorning advertisements for the holiday sales; a few of which are in patriotic layouts, but unfortunately many are cartoonish caricatures.  By in large, as a nation, we no longer pay tribute to these two great Americans on this Monday holiday.

 I wish we would. Perhaps we can pause to remember that George Washington and Abraham Lincoln deserve our appreciation and admiration. If we choose, we can also make the holiday a teaching moment by discussing with youngsters the reasons why we celebrate the lives of these two men and their impact on America.

 But they were very different men! Washington was well educated and wealthy, but Lincoln was neither; and Washington had a distinguished military background, but Lincoln did not. Also, Washington enjoyed broad national support (North and South) while Lincoln was ostracized in the South. In fact, in his two Presidential elections, Washington received 100% of the Electoral votes (and remains the only President to ever do so); while Lincoln received only a few Southern state electoral votes in the elections of 1860 and 1864. Their most significant difference, however, was that Washington owned slaves, and Lincoln did not! Washington did grant some slaves their freedom for “long and faithful service” before his death and the rest were freed under his will when he died.

  Unfortunately, George Washington’s entire legacy is being demeaned by some in modern academia because he owned slaves, and they conveniently disregard his invaluable service to our Country. And Lincoln, who always abhorred slavery, is also receiving criticism because some believe he did not seek to eradicate slavery until later in his life. But we need to remember that, although our generations (correctly) see slavery as unconscionable, throughout the lifetimes of both Washington and Lincoln slavery was legal in the United States; and throughout most of the world. It seems unfair to judge these two Presidents by our modern standards; and even worse, to then diminish their stature as American heroes.

 And they were quintessential heroes! Both accepted great risk by leading this country through perilous times, and they did share important and admirable attributes. It is these similarities that we should celebrate.

 First, they were both honorable and honest to their core and they both felt a deep obligation to civic duty. Further, they both believed that the United States would not survive unless the various states were united by an inviolate Constitution. Lincoln admired that Washington established the protocol that the Presidency was to be “approachable” and that he refused to be addressed as “Your Excellency” preferring the term “Mr. President.”  Lincoln also appreciated Washington’s advice to future Presidents to avoid foreign entanglements and agreed with Washington’s decision to only serve two terms.

 Our nation was fortunate to have had these two leaders available, and willing to serve, at critical times in our history. So, on this holiday, we should reflect on the legacies of Washington and Lincoln, be grateful for their service, and, maybe, take a few moments to share their contributions to our great Country with our children and grandchildren.

And, we will still have time to barbeque, enjoy recreation, and even hit those holiday sales!