George Washington's birthday

Below is a letter to Lex jr's school:

February 20, 2006
Patch Elementary School Principal and School Board,
"George Washington, born February 22, 1732 in Virginia, was a natural leader, instrumental in creating a united nation out of a conglomeration of struggling colonies and territories. The first president of the United States of America is affectionately honored as 'the father of his country.'" www.usemb.se/Holidays/celebrate/george.htl

Federal statute still designates the third Monday in February as “Washington’s Birthday.” Only since the “let’s give all the boys a trophy” crowd showed up has the holiday been diluted into President’s Day. As if Harrison, Polk, Garfield or for that matter any other president, save Lincoln, is worthy of co-equal status with Washington.

Washington held the continental army together through the most trying and difficult times imaginable. He set the tone for the office of President of the United States - first by refusing to be named king and then by voluntarily relinquishing power by stepping down after two terms. That custom remained an unwritten law honored by every US President until FDR, who for some reason considered himself to be indispensable to the nation. Then FDR died, but we as a nation had the temerity to muddle along somehow without him. Washington also provided a steady hand while presiding as President over the Constitutional Convention of 1787. For his contribution to the nation, his leadership during the worst of times and his strength of character, George Washington has proven to be exceptional and worthy of his own day.

When my son Danny came home calling Monday’s holiday President’s Day, I informed him it was Washington’s Birthday. He protested, saying that at school they said it was President’s Day. I told him to tell his school that I could prove it was Washington’s Birthday by federal statute and to ask what proof his school could provide that it was President’s Day.

This is how our culture slips away from us. Not in big obvious chunks, but rather bit by bit in hardly noticeable increments like the sun slips under the horizon at sunset. It starts as blaze of vibrant reds, yellows and oranges. Then it transforms almost imperceptibly to darker hues, then to blues and purples, then to darkness.

Washington is thrown in with mediocrity, Christmas, another Federal and so named holiday, is downgraded to the “non-denominational winter holiday” for fear of offending a class of people wandering perpetually in search of something to claim to be offended about, and as a result our culture bit by bit, almost unnoticed, slips under the horizon.

Respectfully,


Doug Schumick
Copy to Stars and Stripes