Two days ago we celebrated Presidents Day. No doubt you spent the day reciting the names of past presidents from memory and trading presidential trivia barbs with your friends.
Presidents Day is a worthless holiday, and it ought to be abolished
In the past, there were two holidays in the month of February to honor Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. The birthdays of these presidents were Feb. 12 and 22, respectively.
However, in 1971, President Nixon announced there would be one holiday, to be held on the third Monday of February, to honor all of our leaders.
In order for there to be justice in honoring truly great presidents, what we need to do is revert to celebrating the birthdays of the aforementioned leaders.
By grouping together all of our past presidents, the contributions of giants such as Washington and Lincoln are not only trivialized, but are more likely to be forgotten.
Very few presidents have contributed as greatly to this country.
Washington led the Continental Army to victory over the British before helping to lay the foundation of our republican government and ideals, while Lincoln held the nation together during a bloody Civil War, which set families and polarizing ideologies against one another.
The actions and accomplishments of these individuals in particular are what should be honored.
Which other figures in the nation's history deserve more attention and commemoration?
It is ridiculous to put all of our other presidents on the same pedestal, as if to argue that all have changed the course of the country and history in an equal manner.
Is there any comparison between the legacies of Washington or Lincoln and, say, Presidents Hoover or Clinton?
By declaring the day to be, in essence, a "blank check," as opposed to one for a particular person, reinforces the notion that the day itself has no meaning. It is ambiguous as to who it is in particular we are to honor and what it is exactly we are supposed to celebrate.
As was mentioned above, what needs to happen is a return to observing the two original holidays in February.
This way, there would be something analogous to a movement recognizing and teaching the significance of presidents like Washington and Lincoln.
Accompanying this adjustment would be a greater likelihood that Americans would be able to identify the deeds of these presidents.
This is no small thing: The concept of citizenship should carry more weight. Diversity without assimilation carries the risk of the United States becoming another Bosnia or Beirut.
The stories of our most unifying presidents illustrate sacrifice, character and leadership.
The consequences of Presidents Day have been completely unintended. The purpose of the so-called holiday is to add a free day onto the weekend for federal workers and to provide an excuse for shoppers to head to the malls for the sales.
It is the most meaningless day on the calendar. Even Groundhog Day has greater importance.
Hilary Wade is a political science junior. She can be reached at: hilary.wade@asu.edu.
