Today is George Washington’s real birthday.
The “Father of our Country,” George Washington, was born on this day in 1732 at Pope’s Creek, Va.
The federal government holiday,
“Washington’s Birthday,” was on Feb. 18, as a result of the Uniform
Monday Holiday Act of
1971 to give employees three days off. Thus, the holiday is always
on the third Monday of February, which never falls on the
22nd.
There was an effort at the time to rename the holiday “Presidents Day” to honor Abraham Lincoln, born Feb. 12, 1809, and all
presidents, but that effort failed and the name has remained the same since it first became a national holiday in 1885.
To add to the confusion, advertisers have perpetuated the myth that the name of the national holiday is Presidents Day, which
has been picked up by much of the news media as well.
But we believe George Washington
deserves to be recognized on his actual birthday. His steadfastness
during the American Revolution
was largely responsible for our independence, and his wise
leadership as our first president was chiefly responsible for
establishing
the United States as a stable, long-lasting constitutional
republic.
Washington’s Birthday was celebrated by the American people as a national holiday by public acclaim long before the federal
government officially recognized it as a holiday in order to give employees a day off.
If you’ve ever read about the Battle of
the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas in 1836, it is noted the Texans were
having a celebration
the night before the siege started. The Texan colonists were
celebrating Washington’s Birthday on Feb. 22. The siege of the
Alamo began Feb. 23 and lasted 13 days.
Some historians have criticized
Washington for losing so many battles during the American Revolution.
But considering the
fact that he had to create the U.S. Army out of mostly raw
recruits with little military experience, it is amazing he was
able to win as many battles as he did against the largest,
best-equipped and best-led army in the world at the time — the
British Army. When others, called “sunshine patriots” by Thomas
Paine, were ready to give up, it was Washington who was able
to always keep an army in the field and the revolution going. Most
importantly, Washington and his men, with help from the
French, won the war and our independence.
After the war, Washington returned home
to Mount Vernon and was content to be a farmer for the rest of his
life. But when
the new nation was beset with problems and was becoming unstable,
and some thought unworkable, the people once again called
upon him to save the nation, this time as the first U.S.
president.
As president, he set many precedents that have served the nation well. He strictly governed by the new Constitution, ratified
in 1789, and was admired for his honesty, and devotion to God and country. He brought order out of disorder and after two
terms in office, voluntarily stepped down from office and returned again to Mount Vernon. He died there Dec. 14, 1799.
Let us hope and pray that the current politicians running the government in Washington, D.C. will begin governing more like
George Washington by putting the love of country and respect for the Constitution ahead of ideology and party politics.
• • •
This editorial was written by a member of the American Press Editorial Board. Its content reflects the collaborative opinion of the Board, whose members include Bobby Dower, Ken Stickney,
Jim Beam, Crystal Stevenson and Donna Price.