So Monday was both Washington’s Birthday and Presidents’ Day.
It’s a dual holiday that happens on the third Monday of February, recognizing both the first U.S. president, George Washington, and all subsequent presidents. I’m not sure there’s a definitive answer to the question of whether it’s “presidents’” with an apostrophe to denote the day belongs to all presidents, or “presidents” without an apostrophe denoting the plurality of recognizing all presidents, because if you look it up you’ll find both versions used by lots of “reputable” sources.
Whatever the case, the two-fold presidential-themed day passed without much fanfare, as usual. There was no parade down Grand Avenue and no big to-do at the fairgrounds, and the majority of the government and bank employees who got the day off likely used the extra personal time to make a mid-day trip to Walmart or spend more time with their heads bowed in the direction of an electronic device rather than use it for any truly constructive purpose.
But not to be denied a chance to ponder a convoluted mix of history, current affairs and irony, my mind wandered into the realm where mulling over the logic and validity of honoring of all presidents takes place. The key word is “all.”
To include all of them, one can’t stop at Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and the Roosevelts – Theodore and Franklin. No, all would mean looking past the highly-regarded “good guys” and also giving recognition to their less respectable and even villainous peers.
Including Andrew Johnson, who took office after Lincoln’s assassination and promptly seized the opportunity to promote his white supremacy agenda, which ultimately put him in opposition to Congress and led to his being the first president to be impeached (although he was acquitted in the Senate by one vote).
Including Richard Nixon, whose (alleged) knowledge of a break-in at the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters in the Watergate Hotel and his (alleged) cover-up of the crime led to him being the only president to ever resign from office (before he was impeached).
Including Bill Clinton, who (allegedly) expanded his use of the Oval Office to include activity far beyond the average type of executive branch business, and ended up joining Johnson as the only other president to be impeached (although he was acquitted in the Senate).
The there’s Millard Fillmore, James Buchanan and Warren G. Harding, all high on any “worst presidents” list.
Anyway, Presidents’/Presidents Day will occur again next February, and it will slide by again without much notice (other than when someone goes to the post office and realizes its closed). But since it runs concurrent with Washington’s Birthday, one can always lean that direction so as to avoid the oxymoron of “honoring” men who arguably don’t deserve it.
Doug Davison is a writer, photographer and newsroom assistant for the Houston Herald. Email: ddavison@houstonherald.com.