President’s Day paradox

“When one side only of a story is heard and often repeated, the human mind becomes impressed with it insensibly….”
—George Washington (POTUS #1)

Doesn’t that sound like an effect of Trump’s (POTUS 45) continuous repeating of the “big lie” about winning the election which he has repeated over and over?

Throughout my elementary school and high school years (1956 to 1967) we celebrated Lincoln’s birthday on Feb. 12 and George Washington’s birthday on Feb. 22. Lincoln’s birthday, Feb. 12, 1809, was never a federal holiday, but Washington’s birthday was. In 1971 President Nixon declared Feb. 22 President’s Day. It started as George Washington Day on Feb. 22, 1800, to celebrate America’s first president the year after he died. George Washington was born on Feb.11, 1731, according to the Julian calendar. In 1752 Britain and its colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar, which moved Washington’s birthday to Feb. 22, 1732. Now all U.S. Presidents are honored on the third Monday of February (since 1971) which this year is Feb. 20, 2023. Happy President’s Day to all but POTUS 45.

Both Washington (POTUS #1) and Lincoln (POTUS #16) were known for their honesty and integrity. George Washington is famous for being commander of the Continental Army in the American Revolution and subsequently “Father of His Country.” He did not say the famous line, “I cannot tell a lie, father. I cut the cherry tree down with my little hatchet” that appeared in a fifth edition of a biography written years after Washington passed away. The author put the incident in his book because people wanted to know about Washington’s childhood, and we still don’t. But it has become part of American folklore.

Abraham Lincoln is said to have walked miles to return change to a customer in a store where he worked and miles to return a book to a library. Lincoln was called ‘Honest Abe” because he “worked diligently to maintain his reputation as an honest politician and lawyer.” Throughout his life Lincoln practiced honesty with all his clients and people he worked with.

It is quite ironic that President Nixon’s (POTUS 36) famous line is, “I’m not a crook,” where he’s lying about the Watergate Hotel break-in scandal. Then he resigned from presidential office, the only U.S. president to ever do so, since he knew he would be impeached while in office. But he is included as President to be honored on President’s Day, which he set up. Also extremely ironic and a living ongoing American tragedy is D.J. Trump (POTUS 45) who some informed sources say told over 30,000 lies during his time in public view. He is known for serial lying and a total lack of integrity. He has been impeached twice and continues to push his “big lie” to the American people and the world. One has to wonder how many will celebrate him on President’s Day?

“Be with a leader when he is right, stay with him when he is still right, but leave him when he is wrong.”

—Honest Abe Lincoln, (POTUS 16). POTUS means President of the United States.

Joey Connolly
China Town, Saipan