February 21, 2011

President's Day

History has a tendency to judge presidents harshly, even (especially?) our most beloved ones. Indeed, although most presidents in recent memory have wanted to leave a legacy, historians of all political persuasions have so savaged well-known presidents of all stripes that relative obscurity may be a more certain way for a president to preserve his reputation.

It can be a thankless job to be the one at whose desk the buck stops, especially when the decisions to be made at a given time are unpopular, or even relatively unimportant. In our political system, we have the amazing freedom to disagree publicly with our presidents, and we in some sense have the duty to do so. However, no matter what we may think of the policies of a president, we should have respect for the person who has taken up that responsibility on our behalf. So, with that in mind, I'd like to pay my respects to all of our presdients, past, present, and, Lord willing, future.