Taking aim at president-worship
March 4, 2008 – 11:00 pm by JohnWerner Lange wrote a column in the Chicago Tribune entitled “Taking aim at Presidents’ Day”. He reveals himself to be enamored of the highest State power in the world and wholly ignorant of basic American history.
What or whom are we really celebrating on this day? The office or the occupant? An individual or an institution? All the presidents, past, present and future? Even the impeached and impeachable ones? The corrupt as well as the incorruptible? Peacemakers along with warmongers? The good, the bad and the ugly?
He then goes on to list several presidents who don’t deserve to be considered alongside such “greats” as Washington and Lincoln:
Jackson was an unabashed racist and sexist….
So was Abraham Lincoln. Werner Lange wouldn’t want to upset his happy, rosy view of this icon of American history, though, so he has probably completely ignored Lincoln criticism his entire life, refusing to admit he was less than demigod-like.
Tyler became a sworn enemy of the U.S. by joining the Confederacy.
Lincoln became a sworn enemy of the U.S., the Constitution, and its framers Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Mason, and others by ignoring the right of states to secede and the (legal) inability of the central government to do anything about it.
Cleveland was a draft dodger.
I never knew that! Good for him! I like him even more now!
Truman dropped the bomb.
Well, good for you, Werner, you got one important one right. You must not be enamored of all military power, then.
And Hayes, like the current president, lost the election but nevertheless assumed the power of the presidency.
No, he didn’t (Bush). Look, he isn’t any more qualified to be president than you or I, and we’d be better off with just about anybody else (or did I speak too soon?), but he still won the election against Algore.
There have been only a few great presidents, and Lincoln was as far from it as they come. Given his great leadership as our nation’s first president, I would say Washington is the only one who deserves to be celebrated on President’s Day, if there is going to be one at all.