Today, in honor of Presidents' Day, I'm posting a picture that my daughter drew last year in her pre-K three class. Perhaps you recall doing similar sketches when you were in school? It's a nice tradition and I'm glad that Mary Ann is learning about the history of her country at such an early age.
I have lived under many Presidents: Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, Bush II and Obama. And I think all of them did something important - even the ones that might not be as beloved as some of the others. President Johnson was very supportive of Civil Rights and President Nixon, for all of his many flaws, greatly helped relations with China. President Ford offered calm and healing when the country needed calm and healing, President Carter brought people together in the Middle East, President Bush (the first) was a man of his word during the Gulf War and President Clinton let the good times roll with a thriving economy. And President Bush (the second) kept us safe for eight more years after 9/11. He declared war on terror, and though that war took some odd twists and turns under his office, there has never been another attack on U.S. soil.
I think this is what we should do on Presidents' Day. We should look at what each leader brought to the table. My favorite quote from a President in my lifetime came from Ronald Reagan, who pretty much ended the Cold War and who said, "You'd be amazed what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit." I have thought of those words many times in my life, especially when a team of some 100 people worked on "Concert For A Cause" for 12 straight years with no other motive than to try and help others. And I think of it now in my work with Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Obviously, the two men that my daughter drew in this picture also made significant contributions to the presidency. And this is really their holiday. One is "The Father of Our Country." And if you've ever read anything about George Washington - about the details of his leadership - or even watched any documentaries about him, you know that he was our first President for good reason. His wisdom and courage were unparalleled. The other is "The Great Emancipator." And obviously the legacy of Abraham Lincoln speaks for itself, as he led our country through its most difficult years, when it was literally at war with itself.
My daughter - through her little drawing - helped remind me of that today, and helped remind me of some of the others that came later. I thank Teddy Roosevelt for our national parks. I thank Dwight Eisenhower for the American highway system. I thank John Kennedy for putting a man on the moon, even if he didn't live to see it. And I thank Barrack Obama for helping fulfill MLK's dream.
Happy Presidents' Day, America.
Some have been great. Some have not. All tried their best. And, most importantly, all were elected by the people. We don't say "Long live the king" in the United States. We don't care for kings very much.
But we do say "Hail to the Chief."
