Never mind all that President's Day nonsense. This is Washington's Birthday, the holiday we really should be celebrating:
It is sad that rather than celebrating George Washington’s Birthday, we have President’s Day. By recognizing a group of political office holders rather than one man, we miss the chance to reflect on the impact of one person on the development of three centuries of democracy.
Washington’s greatness is not solely derived from the fact that he was the first American president, but rather in the actions he took, the principles he stood for, and the precedent that he established, all of which have such a meaningful and lasting impact on the state of our country and the world today.
Exactly so. What's the point of celebrating a day that lumps Thomas Jefferson in with Millard Fillmore? In fact, you can have a good debate on the merits and shortcomings of any president, even the ones on most "greatest in history" lists. FDR is responsbible for the monstrous growh of the federal government. Abraham Lincoln presided over the death of more American soldiers than any other commander in chief. And on and on. But I think it's hard to dispute the designation of Washington as the best ever. He had no blueprint to follow, and he he had to get it absolutely right or this American experiment would have ended almost as soon as it began. He did get it right. Father of our country, indeed.
