Sunday, February 27, 2011

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. PRESIDENT!

Ballots are the rightful and peaceful successors to bullets - Abraham Lincoln

Turn on any news program and you will be watching rampant violence in countries whose people are struggling for freedom. Dictators and long entrenched rulers call the shots. Freedom is a word that applies to a few and not the masses. Certainly not to women. But change is in the wind, and social media seems to be the force behind the storm.

We have had our own struggles in this country as we first fought for freedom from England, found ourselves engaged in two world wars, achieved voting rights for women, brought about a symbolic end to slavery through the Civil War, and continued the fight for true equality for all. Electing African-American Barack Obama to the highest office in the land is certainly a mark of our evolution as a country, proving that anyone can attain the American dream.

As we celebrated President's Day earlier this week I wondered whose birthday we were really celebrating. Originally it was for our first president, George Washington. A few years ago Abraham Lincoln's birthday was added to the celebration and a holiday was picked between the two birthdays. As time went by, although nothing was official, some people began to think about the birthdays of former presidents in general. We have had so many wonderful leaders whose birthdays are worth remembering that perhaps a generic birthday "day off" is in order for them all, rather than just for Washington and Lincoln. Some seemed to be more effective as leaders than others, but they all made their contributions in our continued evolution toward the ultimate democracy, and a place where everyone has the hope of realilzing one's potential.

Because of our wonderful freedom of speech we can disagree on just about anything, even the effectiveness of former presidents. And if we don't like the way a president does his job, we can vote him out, unlike those countries who seem to have leaders for life no matter how ill suited or despotic.

In surfing the net I found a wonderful site entitled USHistorySite.com which is worth checking out, as it lists every president from George Washington to Barack Obama and their terms in office. Famous quotations from each are also listed. Anyone interested in history would enjoy the site, but teachers of middle and high school grades, whose students live in a "sound byte" world would find it particularly useful. It also provides a brief look at every major occurence from early exploration of our country to the present day. For those who like an easy read, this is truly a "thumbnail" U.S. history lesson.

I believe it behooves us to think about these former leaders, no matter what our personal convictions are, and to celebrate each of them, no matter how small their contributions seemed to be. They were part of the process that is at the heart of our political system. We only have to turn on CNN, MSNBC and Fox News to see the dreadful alternatives in so many other parts of the world.

I, for one, am truly thankful a stroke of fate allowed me to be born here and not in a restrictive country which represses its populace. I am also glad that our pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit has brought about the invention of Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sources that are making unheard of differences in the world's thinking. I am further thrilled that most of our country's citizens, who come from every corner of the globe, seem to appreciate our politcal system, and want others to enjoy a similar way of life.

Let's take a minute to honor our country and our presidents, past and present. Let's make Presidents' Day be for all of them and whatever they brought to our national table. If we can't do that, we should at least think about all of the people in the world who are NOT free, and who are dodging bullets, explosives, and police/military personnel seeking to control their lives, and be glad we are not one of them.

For my part, I say, with feeling, Happy Birthday, Mr. President, whoever you are. You were voted in by the people, and our country is better off for whatever role you played.

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