I Can Not Tell a Lie: It’s Not Presidents Day

While the U.S. holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February is often called Presidents’ Day it is officially, legally, a day to celebrate George Washington’s birthday. So, it’s not Presidents Day. Learn more about how the misnomer came to be at snopes.com. 

Happy George Washington Day!

February is often called Presidents' Day it is officially, legally, a day to celebrate George Washington's birthday. So, it's not Presidents Day.

February 22, 1732 to December 14, 1799

George Washington was more than a hero of the Revolutionary War and the first President of the United States of America. He was first an orphan then a farmer, followed by Surveyor General for Virginia, landowner, a major in the Virginia militia, and a hero of the French and Indian War. He was a man who followed his principles and refused to be king.

Learn more about the man who became the first U.S.President at biography.com

Common Sense and Common Honesty

In reading about Washington, I found a timeless comment he made to the citizens of Baltimore in 1789.

“It appears to me that little more than common sense and common honesty in the transactions of the community at large would be necessary to make us a great and happy nation.”

His comment made me think. Whether Republican, Democrat or other political flavors it seems that many of the world’s leaders have forgotten their common sense and honesty. Perhaps whole nations have.

But in this, the information age, can we believe the information put before us? Reality tv shows are staged. Advertising has little relationship to the truth. Misinformation ripples across the internet at light speed.  

So in the frenzy to get attention, to be special, are we getting a distorted view?

What do you think? Does the world need more common sense and honesty? Do you think that media attention on those who have demonstrated a lack of common sense and dishonesty has caused a distorted perception of the morals of politicians?

 

 

4 comments

  1. Common sense and honesty are punished at every turn in today’s political climate, to our great misfortune. One person’s “common sense” is another’s “politically incorrect”–on both sides of the artificial divide (most of us are more middle-of-the-road than is good for the 24/7 news cycle and the partisans who seek to differentiate themselves from each other). If one is honest, one must admit to having failed, at some point–and any such “weakness” positively demands an attack from competitors. Until voters quit listening to “attack ads” and do their own independent research (which is incredibly difficult to do), this system self-perpetuates.

    Washington might be appalled . . . but I fear he would not be surprised. The political imbroglios in his day were not pretty, and they included even more open name-calling, not to mention duels with pistols at dawn.

    From armed personal combat to Internet flame-wars. Progress??

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