1. Welcome to the third Monday in February or, as those of us in America know it, Presidents’ Day.
2. Encyclopedia Britannica teaches that this particular holiday (originally called Washington’s Birthday) celebrated – not a shocker here – George Washington’s birthday on February 22. In 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday bill, moving a number of federal holidays to Monday seeing as everybody loves a three day weekend and a birthday “observed” is just as fine when said person is super dead.
3. Abraham Lincoln’s birthday was on February 12 so some folks were all we should combine them and honor both birthdays. Congress shot that suggestion down but commercialism got the last laugh when Presidents’ Day sales in retail resulted in “Presidents’ Day” becoming the popularly accepted name.
4. All this to say that here I am, smack dab in the middle of Presidents’ Day, and I’ve got more than a few thoughts running through my head.
5. Like, what would George Washington think of [big air quotes here] “government” as we’ve seen it over the last few months? I’m no historical scholar. Matter of fact, I’m fairly certain any social studies minded elementary student could school me on our first president. I’d also be willing to wager Washington would be appalled.
6. And what about Abraham Lincoln? How would the president who abolished slavery feel watching insurrectionists carry the Confederate Flag through the U.S. Capitol? Would he have looked at that crowd and wondered what we’d done for the last 160 years? I’d be hard pressed to explain any of it.
7. Some understand it to be a celebration of the birthdays and lives of all U.S. presidents and that just muddies the waters further. So I’d like to say to all the presidents who haven’t incited a violent coup attempt, happy Presidents’ Day. We appreciate it.
8. Those last two sentences kill me.
9. I can honestly say I’ve given precisely zero thought to what might be on a Presidents’ Day sale this year. Zilch. Nada.
10. I do however greatly appreciate the three day weekend. We needed the break, man. As evidenced by the fact that I’m finishing this at four in the afternoon, for Pete’s sake.
Three day weekends are the way forward.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aren’t they, though?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on The View from the Armchair.
LikeLike
My post today shared kind of the same thoughts about the irony of this day this year
LikeLiked by 1 person
It does sort of feel like “that” holiday, doesn’t it? Poor President Biden…I feel like a good portion of his administration will be the rest of us commenting on the insanity that was the Trump years.
LikeLiked by 1 person
right –
LikeLiked by 1 person
Laura, like you my interest in Presidents’ Day sales is nil. I also agree with the caveat that seditious former presidents should not be celebrated. Here is letter I sent in to my paper since the NC Republican party wants to censure Senator Richard Burr who had the temerity to think sedition is a crime. I hope they print it. Please feel free to adapt and use if you like it.
“Two thoughts pop into my head about the state Republican parties that are censuring Republicans who voted to impeach or convict the seditious former president. Each time they take aim at one of them, it gives them the chance to repeat their resolve into why the former president is a traitor. Which leads me to my second thought. Being a traitor and causing the death of now seven people by consistently lying and inciting an insurrection is not worth censuring, but telling said traitor they do not approve of that behavior is. There is something terribly wrong with this picture. Burr, Cheney, Murkowski, et al are the real heroes who knew beforehand they would get backlash, yet did it anyway.”
Keith
LikeLiked by 1 person
I feel very much the same way. There’s no love lost here with these NC GOP folks — Tillis and Burr have disappointed me again and again but I was proud of Burr for taking this hit. The states that put Trumpers over country are an embarrassment to their constituents.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Laura, in the eyes of the seditious former president, it is OK to betray your country as long as you hug the flag and stand for the national anthem. Senator John McCain wrote an op-ed about the former president’s “traitorous actions” when he sided with Putin in Helsinki over his own intelligence people. One thing is for certain, McCain would be leading the charge to convict the former president for high crimes and misdemeanors. He also would be none to happy with the weasel-like actions of his friend Lindsey Graham. Keith
LikeLiked by 1 person
At one time President’s Day was my wedding anniversary, except that that year President’s Day was the 17th. That wedding experience was a learning experience and it ended. I was thankful for the ending. I suspect many of our forefathers, presidents and otherwise, are looking down at us now, shaking their heads, looking for a strong libation to soothe their disappointments, irritations, and frustrations. They did their best and gave us a way forward. But blinders make it hard for those who should govern to govern.
LikeLiked by 1 person
True. It’s a hard catch-22. I like humanity in my leaders, it makes them relatable and I feel like they care more about people’s struggles, but those human flaws also cause trouble. Ugh.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Definitely a yay for the break here!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do… 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person