PRESIDENTIAL MUDDY SOUP

What do you get when you combine 44 - or 51 - presidents into one “Presidents Day”? Presidential muddy soup, that’s what.

Methinks our current “President’s Day” submerges the brilliant, the genius, and the monumental personages of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln into a muddy mix with the likes of Chester Arthur and other underwhelmers - not to mention some modern presidents who shall remain nameless (insert your own names, if you will).

More than that, what about President John Hanson? Our new nation was founded in 1781 under the Articles of Confederation. President Hanson, our first president, took office at the end of the Revolutionary War. His accomplishments were many. President Hanson told foreign troops to skedaddle, ordered the removal of foreign flags, established the Seal of the United States, established Thanksgiving Day, and more. Six other presidents followed John Hanson: Elias Boudinot, Thomas Mifflin, Richard Henry Lee, Nathan Gorman, Arthur St. Clair, and Cyrus Griffin.

Then, and only then, came President George Washington - who became out first president under the United States Constitution. So, are these seven relatively unknown presidents who served under the Articles of Confederation celebrated on “President’s Day”? Inquiring minds want to know!

The presidential greats are unfairly diminished by the presidential not-so-greats, in the so-called “President’s Day.” How about enacting a Washington – Jefferson - Lincoln Day? Let’s eliminate the presidential muddy soup.